The List
by alh1971
Summary: aka "Dead Happily Ever After". Sookie receives an invitation to Eric and Freyda's wedding. Eric has ulterior motives. Canonish, AU. Rated M for violence, later lemons.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mystery characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Prologue

Eric sat in the dark, long legs outstretched as he reclined in the leather desk chair. He was at his safehouse a few miles from the border of Louisiana and Texas. This particular house was secluded, shrouded in secrecy to all, even Pam. He had hired the contractors from across the country to build the house under an assumed name. The worker crews had been kept to a minimum, paid triple their typical fees to expedite the build, and promptly glamoured to forget the job and location following completion of their work. The architect he had hired was known for designing eco-based homes capable of living off the grid was likewise glamoured to destroy the plan and all records documenting the home for an "eccentric west coast millionaire."

His and Pam's plans had finally come to a head. She had been covertly arranging meeting places and clandestine transport for his allies for the last 2 months. The individuals involved were on alert, waiting for his signal before making their way to Oklahoma. Each would come alone and in disguise. His spies in Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana had not reported anything beyond the mundane and commonplace, most of which revolved around his upcoming nuptials.

He mentally reviewed names in his head, rapidly associating faces, places, shared history. He supposed that the list of names was not extensive given his 1000 plus years on the planet, but it was sufficient for his purposes. He chuckled grimly to himself: he would take quality over quantity any day of the week. Each individual on the list was worth his or her weight in gold, worth armies…after all, trust was a priceless treasure and not easily obtained. Some owed him a blood debt but all were honorable, no small thing given how avarice, evil, and cowardice were universal to vamps (as well as humans and supes in general). All had agreed to come with little to no reservations or questions when initially contacted by Pam.

He had the same message for each ally, brief and to the point. He lightly punched in the first number on his list. The call went directly to voicemail, as agreed-they were all aware of steps needed to avoid detection, aware of the safeguards taken to disguise the intent of the message.

He spoke rapidly, "Bodvar. Det är dags," before ending the call. His next call also went to voicemail. Again, he spoke the same truncated message, only this time in Romanian and not Swedish: "Dragos. Este timpul." Again and again, in English, as well as several other languages-the message was the same, simply the name of his ally followed by the signal. After the last call was placed, he crushed the untraceable "pre-paid burner" cell phone in his hand, tossing it into the small waste basket.

It was indeed time. The wedding to Freyda was to be in two nights. He was expected to be in Oklahoma tomorrow night at the very latest. His absence, while raising some initial suspicions, was necessary but explained away as having to finalize last minute Area 5 issues.

He sat back for a few moments before reaching for his broadsword, which was leaning against his desk. This particular sword was his favorite and had never failed him in combat: a Zweihänder that dated back from his days as a mercenary, a landsknechte, during the 16th century. The sword was best wielded by a large individual, as it was long and heavy and meant to be utilized in a two-handed grip. Slowly and methodically, with a meditative reverence, he sharpened the sword with the whetstone, taking time to carefully wipe the residue off with the soft cloth in between strokes. At last, satisfied and calm, he sought his underground saferoom, as dawn was approaching.

He kept his black jeans and t shirt on but removed his heavy boots and unbound his hair before climbing onto bed. He closed his eyes and thought about his decision, his reason for risking it all. He whispered one word before giving in to the sun for the day: "Sookie…".

Chapter 1

One Week Earlier

Sookie had been sunbathing in her backyard when she heard the postal carrier's vehicle slowly make its way down her gravel drive. She was in no hurry to check mail-junk fliers and bills could wait a while. It was her day off and she was damn well going to enjoy it in the sun while she could. She had been in a dark, depressed funk for the past few weeks and was sick of it. She refused to think about Eric-he had not returned her calls or stopped by since the night she had used the cluviel dor to resurrect Sam from death. Oh wait, she self-corrected, she actually had "heard " from him in one capacity: Eric's signed (in blood) divorce decree from Mr. Cataliades, basically nullifying her "marriage" to him. It was relatively brief, to the point, and apparently did not require her consent, signature, or knowledge of the divorce beforehand. The bottom line: the vamp world believed in quickie divorces, and she suspected this was particularly true when one member of the couple was human.

She knew the reason for the divorce: his marriage to Oklahoma was imminent. The announcement had been televised on various "entertainment" shows, as well as on the Internet (TMZ, PerezHilton, etc.). The last time she had tortured herself by doing a search on Google, she had felt sickened by the photo of Eric standing by Freyda at their "engagement announcement party" that had been attended by vampire VIPs (allegedly including King Felipe, according to the gossip site). The memory of the photo was burned into her brain. Eric had looked beautiful but stoic, wearing a traditional tux, his long golden hair pulled back sleekly and severely in a tight ponytail. Freyda had been beaming, looking regal and every bit the vampire queen, slyly looking at him while she had a death grip (ha!) possessively clawed onto his massive arm. Eric had had his face tilted away from hers, seemingly looking out at the crowd.

She forcibly shook herself out of her maudlin fog ("Stop pining over him, you are a strong Stackhouse woman so pull yourself up out of your pity party by your bootstraps!"). She got up off her folding lawn chair (7.99 Wal-mart, if you please) and wrapped her towel around her waist, closing her latest romance paperback with a sigh (the cover had a large bare chested blonde male clutched desperately by a golden haired heroine. Nope, no similarities there). By the time she made it to the front of her drive, sunset was approaching and she was getting a bit hungry. She hummed to herself as she decided on heating up the leftover lasagna she had in the fridge for dinner. She grabbed the mail and began absentmindedly sorting it as she walked back to her house.

Yep, she was right: bill, charity solicitation, sale flyer, bill, jury notice (damn!), and at the very back, a thick envelope with only her name on the front in elegant calligraphic script. Her heart leapt into her mouth. She knew instinctively what it was despite the lack of return address or postage. She hurriedly entered her front door and dumped herself heavily onto a chair at the dining table. She closed her eyes, feeling lightheaded, trying to force her jack-hammering heart and breathing into a slow rhythm. Once she felt she had some semblance of control, she turned the envelope over and noticed the seal of wax on the back with the initials E.N. Her hands trembled.

"That son of a bitch…" she whispered under her breath. She angrily broke the seal with her thumb nail and tore the thick ivory invitation out of the envelope, inadvertently causing a deep paper cut which proceeded to bleed profusely onto the expensive paper. "Oh hell," she grumbled, as she grabbed a napkin to soak up the blood. She couldn't believe it-that bastard had the gall to actually send an invitation to his wedding! Well, he could just fuck off! She jumped up to call him to tell him exactly what he could do with his invite, and Freyda for that matter! As she grabbed her cell phone, she noticed she had a message from early this morning. She had forgotten to check her phone before starting her day, but to be fair, she had been distracted lately and had not been sleeping well. Little things seemed to be slipping past her on a frustratingly regular basis. She decided to listen to it before she tore Eric a new one. The call had the 318 Shreveport area code but she didn't recognize the number. She began listening to the message, and soon recognizing Pam's deadpan, rapid fire monotone.

"Sookie. Pam. I have placed my master's wedding invitation in your mailbox. You will come. I will arrange for your transport. I will accompany you. This is non-negotiable. I will explain more when I see you." Click.

Damned high-handed vampires! She groaned and slammed the phone on top of the table. She hissed under her breath, "You know what, you both can rot in hell as far as I'm concerned!" She noticed she had lost her appetite and actually felt quite nauseated. She decided she would take a hot shower, as she was feeling dirty after that unpleasant bit of business and wanted to scrub herself raw.

As she started the shower, waiting for the water to heat up, she sat on the toilet's closed lid. She held her head in her hands and cried. As tears fell hotly down her cheeks, she suddenly realized with a heavy heart that she would go with Pam to the wedding. She would go. Just to see him one last time…


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mystery characters belong to Charlaine Harris. My original characters, however, belong to moi.

A/N

Wow! Thank you so much for all of the reviews and follows/favorites! I appreciate each and every review and I am humbled, given this is my maiden fanfic effort! I hope to do this little story (and Eric and Sookie) justice, especially given the recent release of the book "That Shall Not Be Named" (kind of like the literary equivalent of Voldemort). To the guest reviewer who asked the question "Why?" and suggested Sookie did not have any self-respect for deciding to go the wedding, that is a valid point, but have no fear, my Sookie is NOT a doormat and hopefully this chapter will provide some answers to your question. As far as timeline, Sookie's birthday, which I believe was July 1, occurred at the end of Deadlocked. So, we pick up in this story a few weeks afterwards. Sookie got the wedding invitation on a Sunday, which means that the following Sunday is the dreaded wedding. This may be somewhat off from CH's timeline, but oh well, it is what it is…so, in other words, I am going to start diverting a bit from canon into my own little AU. Also, since I am a newbie to posting on this site (or any site), I noticed there was a posting mistake in the Prologue, with a "Chapter 1" before Sookie's part. That was not intended to be Chapter 1, and was instead part of the Prologue. THIS chapter is actually the first chapter. Remember: reviews send a dopamine and serotonin cascade straight to the muse center of my brain, resulting in faster chapter updates!

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Sookie groaned as she painfully peeked open one swollen eye at her alarm clock. Ugh. She had less than one hour to get up and get her act together to make it in time for her Monday lunch shift at Merlotte's. She thought about calling in sick, but decided against it. Even though she was now technically co-owner of the bar, she continued to wait tables on a regular basis to stay busy and because they were understaffed. Also, to be honest, if she stayed home right now she would not have the luxury of having work, mundane though it was, to distract her from her thoughts.

Her head ached as she heavily leaned up in bed. The night before, after her marathon cry session while sitting in the tub until the shower ran ice cold, she stupidly had sought out her unopened bottle of gin given to her by Tara (which had been hidden from Jason's sticky fingers). Well, needless to say, given how crappy she felt this morning, it was obvious that attempting to drown her sorrows in booze did not help her mood or thinking. No sir, not one bit. In addition to a monster hangover, she suspected she had cried herself into a sinus infection, given the full and stuffy feeling in her nose and face. And, to make matters worse, she felt even more sad and miserable. She decided then and there that she would avoid alcohol for a while given how upset she was and she would try like hell not to shed any more tears over Eric Northman (though truthfully she wasn't sure if she would be able to achieve the latter, especially with the upcoming wedding).

As she squinted at the bright (and painful) sunlight filtering in through the blinds, she trod heavily to the kitchen and began brewing coffee. There was no way in hell she would be able to face work without some caffeine in her system. She then shuffled to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. After popping a couple of aspirin gulped down with a full glass of water, she decided to take another hot shower, hopefully to open her sinus passages so she would be able to breathe a little better and relieve some of the pressure in her head.

After a shower, she let her mind meander as she toweled off and hurriedly jammed herself into her Merlotte's uniform (it was mid-August and muggy as hell, so it consisted of t-shirt, lightweight shorts, athletic socks & sneakers) and whipped her still damp hair into a high ponytail. She then hurriedly poured herself a large mug of coffee (which she decided she needed to drink hard up "motor oil" black) and popped some bread into the toaster, since she didn't think she could stomach anything more substantial given the lingering queasiness in her stomach.

She leaned against the counter and mused. She was waffling. Her knee-jerk reaction had been to tell them all (meaning Eric and Pam) to fuck off. However, despite the terse and cryptic nature of Pam's message, the mental pendulum had inexorably swung back in the polar opposite direction. Once again, her resolve wavered. While she remembered her painful decision to attend the wedding before passing out last night, she was now second guessing herself. Again. For one thing, her pride had already taken a beating. From being snubbed by Eric since the whole Sam/Janalynn/cluviel dor debacle, to receiving the shock of the divorce decree, to having her nose rubbed in the media blitz of Eric and Freyda's engagement, she had felt her self-esteem rapidly dwindle. She absolutely despised the feeling. She had spent much of her life feeling like a pariah due to her "crazy Sookie" reputation. With the exception of JB, she had also been shit on by all the romantic interests in her life (some more than others), including Bill (duh!), Quinn, Alcide, and most painful of all, Eric. Her relationship with Sam had also become strained and awkward since the "resurrection" (he had acted like a stunned and frightened Lazarus after she brought him home with her that night). While he was unequivocally grateful for her intervention on his behalf, it seemed as if they no longer had the easy familiar friendship they once had. She snorted: it figured, she had used her one precious magical "get out of jail free" card to save her friend, who now seemed to want to avoid her like the plague, while alienating her one true love who no doubt blamed her for not saving him from a marriage that was at its core a thinly veiled sentence of indentured servitude.

Really, that factor was at the root of her ambivalence: she wanted to be righteously angry and vindicated by turning her back on him, finally closing that chapter of her life in retaliation to his unceremonious brush-off. However, deep down, she knew in her heart that it wasn't that simple of a matter. Given her last real conversation with him early last month, she knew damned well that Eric did not want to be sold into marriage to Freyda, despite her beauty, wealth, and power. Based on their discussions and what she had gleaned from various sources, Eric had learned the hard way to swim carefully in the shark tank of vampire politics. Over the course of a millennia, he had served in every imaginable political or quasi-political role, from lowly slave and prisoner all the way up to king (although he did not discuss the latter role in detail, he had briefly mentioned his "abdication" as king of an undisclosed European country at some point in his past). His role as Sheriff of Area 5 was his concession to the vamp world: the position allowed him a measure of power while still affording him the "luxury" to try to fly (ha!) as much as possible under the radar. However, his time of relative anonymity had obviously come to an abrupt end since he was soon to be Freyda's consort. Hell, forget anonymity: he had lately become fodder for all the gossip rags and websites (at one point she had read he had been offered an undisclosed sum to pose as centerfold in Playgirl's "Hot Vamp" special edition. Gulp). With his bastard of a maker acting as a catalyst, his history as warrior, his reputation of cunning and political savvy, not to mention his panty combusting good looks and prowess as a lover, the vamp world had finally caught up with him. Sadly, he would no longer be allowed to remain a relatively small-time Sheriff in his modest Louisiana fiefdom. His days of "freedom" would soon be over.

While on some level she was hurt and blamed him for not trying everything in his power to get out of the farce of a marriage contract, she begrudgingly acknowledged that between the unholy trinity of Appius, Freyda, and Felipe, they had him cornered into a seemingly impossible situation. She knew that Eric was painfully aware, better than damned near anyone, the true meaning of enslavement given his history with his maker. Although she tried (often unsuccessfully) to be a good Christian, she hated Appius with all of her heart and soul. She supposed the fairy in her blood was showing: she wished she could resurrect him just so she could end his conniving and opportunistic ass all over again. In addition to her venom for Freyda, her anger was also percolating hotly for Felipe, who Eric had mentioned as playing a key role in ensuring that the marriage contract was enforced. She had entertained the thought of trying to petition the king for Eric's freedom but she knew that despite her role in saving his life from Siegbert, his leniency for her was conditional and limited at best. She suspected his "favor" to her consisted of not forcing her into slavery as his pet telepath, but she feared that unpleasant possibility had a good chance of happening now (she would bet her last dollar) that it was common knowledge in the supe world that she was no longer bound by blood or marriage to Eric.

She glanced at her Timex and saw she had 10 minutes to get to work. Uh-oh. She had been so immersed in her own little world of woe, time had flown by. She finished her toast and gulped down a second cup of coffee before darting into the bathroom to quickly brush her teeth (hung over morning breath and coffee-not pleasant or conducive for good tips!).

As she drove to Merlotte's, she once again leaned in favor of attending the wedding. While some folks may pity her or look down at her as not having any self-respect for attending the ceremony, she had her own reasons for going that she hoped would allow her some closure. She would go and see her former lover one last time while holding her head high and then tell him best wishes and goodbye, and then move on with her life while trying not to look back. At any rate, she knew she would have most likely been forcefully kidnapped by Pam anyway if she had refused: Pam's no nonsense message had as much warned that her attendance was "non-negotiable."

She arrived at the bar and quickly went in through the employee entrance, heading straight to the locker area to stow her purse and put on an apron (which held her notepad and pen). Merlotte's was actually fairly busy for a Monday, and her afternoon seemed to pass quickly into the early night. She had seen Sam staring at her on several occasions, but pretended to ignore him and avoid him the few times their paths threatened to cross. At the end of her shift, as she was heading from the employee area out to the hallway towards the back entrance, Sam called her into the office. She groaned inwardly. He had caught her before she could make her escape.

"Sookie. Do you have a minute?"

"Um, sure Sam. What's up? The books are straightened out and we aren't scheduled for delivery until 9 am Thursday morning."

"Thanks Sook. Appreciate it. But I didn't want to talk about work…I just wanted to clear the air a little bit. I know things have seemed off between us lately."

Sookie hesitated before answering. "Well, I won't lie and say that I haven't gotten weird vibes from you. I don't hold it against you though." She tried to make a joke, "I heard coming back from the dead is no picnic."

The joke fell flat. Sam cracked a small, sad smile but didn't laugh. An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Sookie decided she'd had enough. It had been a long day and she'd had a hell of a night yesterday and was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. "Well Sam, I'm going to head home now, so…" She turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist.

"Sookie. I wanted to thank you. Really thank you for doing what you did. And…I also heard that your actions that night impacted your relationship with Eric."

Sookie froze. Who the hell would have been talking to him about that? She had not talked to anyone about the aftermath of that night. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Sam, I really don't want to talk about Eric, okay? It's true, he and I are no longer together but it really has nothing to do with what happened that night. I don't regret saving your life. I would do it all over again, Sam, because I consider you to be a close friend. You're a good man and over time have become like a brother to me. Hell, you've a better brother than Jason. You didn't deserve to die like that…"

Sam stared at her with a cautious look for a few moments. "Cher. How are you holding up? What with his wedding and all…?"

"It hurts Sam. Okay, it does. I still love him with all of my heart and miss him so damned much it physically hurts me, but I will eventually get over it in time."

"Everyone knows the wedding is this weekend. Do you want some company to help keep your mind off it?" He smiled hopefully, "I can barbecue and we can sit outside relaxing and drinking beer."

Sookie shifted uncomfortably. She mumbled under her breath, "Well…um, I kind of got invited to his wedding and I've decided I'm going to go…".

Sam's eyes widened and his nostrils flared. He stepped closer to her and gripped her upper arms. "Sookie, you can't be serious! What the hell are you thinking?"

Sookie tried to back up. "Ow Sam! You're hurting me!"

Sam loosened his grip but did not let go. He spoke rapidly, deadly serious. "Sook, listen to me. You can't go there. It's…not safe for you. You are no longer officially under Eric's protection, and from what I've heard through the grapevine, Freyda has forbidden it. Do you know what that means, cher? That means you are a sitting duck. Everyone knows you're a telepath. And most have heard about your fae heritage. They would know something's different about you just from your scent. Any of those vamp bastards could stake a claim on you and there would be nothing you could do to stop it. Nothing Eric could do to stop it. Dammit Sookie, you've been around supes for long enough you should know better! Jesus Christ!" He stopped his rant long enough to forcefully tug his hand through his hair, leaving it standing up wild in every direction.

Sookie stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth to reply, but a sardonic voice from behind interrupted her before she could say a word.

"Sookie will be under my protection and escort at the wedding. She is mine."

Sookie turned to the smirking vamp in the doorway and said, "Hello, Pam."


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mystery characters belong to Charlaine Harris. My original characters, however, belong to moi.

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Sam groaned audibly as he and Sookie turned their attention to the smug, well-coiffed vampire.

"Hello to you Sookie. Oh, and to you too Lassie." Pam was wearing ivory crepe pants, a peach twinset, and pearls, her hair done up in a sleek chignon. She looked like a young trophy wife ready to head off to a junior league meeting.

Sam growled. Sookie admonished, "Pam, be nice. Perfect timing, by the way. I need to talk to you. You have some explaining to do."

"Hmm. Well, yes, I believe I mentioned in my voice message I would explain more when I saw you. I'm glad you discovered the invitation prior to my arrival. Most people don't check their mailboxes on Sunday."

"Well, in Bon Temps, you're lucky just to get your mail delivered on any day of the week. Old man Reliford is past retirement age and is starting to become even slower and more forgetful. Some days he doesn't finish let alone even start his route. So Sunday mail service is not uncommon. No one has filed a complaint on him because everyone feels sorry for him since his wife passed away. I heard him coming down the drive while I was sunbathing yesterday."

Pam's fangs ran out as she grinned wickedly, obviously ignoring the sad tale of Bon Temps dementing postal carrier. "Mmmm, Sookie oiled up and in a bikini. So delicious…" She ran her tongue salaciously across her fangs.

Sam grunted, "What's this shit about Sookie being "yours?" Cher, what is she talking about?"

Pam looked evenly at Sam and interrupted before Sookie had a chance to reply. "Shifter. I am not obligated to explain myself to you. But, it seems my intrusion into your little jealous verbal diarrhea was timely. Let it suffice to say that Sookie's safety at my master's wedding is of no concern to you. She will be with me. Ergo, she will be safe. That is all."

If looks could kill Pam would be a bubbling puddle of vamp goo on the floor given Sam's narrowed eyes and red face. "Safe," he scoffed. "If Sookie even makes it into Oklahoma's court and is not immediately detained or assassinated by Freyda, who's to say she won't be claimed by an older or more powerful vamp, likely in league with the Queen? Freyda knows damned well that Eric is still burning a torch for Sookie, divorced or not. You can't guarantee jack shit. The sooner Sookie learns to stay away from you fangers the better off she'll be."

Pam didn't even bat an eyelash at Sam's tirade. "Enough. You should be proud of yourself now that you are capable of making toddler level deductions. We have taken all of these things into consideration. Sookie, come. I will follow you back to your house where we can resume our "discussion" in private." Here she cast one last disdainful glance at Sam and proceeded to head out the back entrance.

Sookie looked sharply in Pam's direction as she walked away. Her slip of "we" did not go unnoticed. She suspected Pam meant for her to catch the underlying hint of Eric's potential role in Sookie's invitation to the wedding. Sookie turned back and let out a long sigh as she looked apologetically at Sam. "I've got to go Sam. I'll talk to you later." She turned to go.

"Sook…." Sam's face looked pained but he didn't elaborate.

Sookie smiled half-heartedly and walked out the back entrance, where she saw Pam already waiting in her minivan, tapping her French manicured nails impatiently on the steering wheel.

Sookie ignored her and took her time getting in her car, allowing the engine a minute or two to warm up. As she slowly turned from the bar's entrance onto the road, she pointedly refused to look into her rearview mirror at the minivan that she could tell was riding her ass, a blatant attempt to get her to speed up. Sookie grumbled lightly under her breath, "If you think being rude is going to make me drive faster, you've got another thing coming sister." She eased her foot off the gas pedal a bit just to make a point and smirked. That was too much for Pam, who gunned her vehicle around Sookie's car and sped off towards her home.

"Damn. I didn't know minivans could go that fast!" Sookie exclaimed aloud.

When she arrived home, Pam was already standing on the porch, toe tapping and arms crossed. She did not look amused.

"Sookie. Seriously. You drive like a centenarian on tranquilizers. I could have crawled here faster…Backwards."

Sookie gave her a saccharine smile. "Well, Pam, us mere mortals have to be more safety conscious than y'all immortals given that we could lose our lives if we hit a deer while racing like a bat of hell down the road. Y'all would only lose money on car repairs." She got her keys out to unlock the door.

Pam said quietly, "Yes, we are well aware of that fact."

Sookie ignored the loaded double meaning in Pam's statement and opened the door, heading towards the kitchen. She dumped her purse on the dining table and went to the fridge. "Have a seat Pam, wherever you're comfortable. I'll warm you up a blood." Sookie took 1 of the 3 remaining True Bloods left in the fridge, unscrewed the top, and popped it into the microwave. While it was warming, she grabbed the pitcher of iced ginger peach sweet tea and poured herself a glass. The microwave dinged and she took the bottle out, lightly swirling it to help disperse the heat.

She brought the drinks to the dining table where Pam was already sitting and staring intently at her. Sookie nudged the True Blood to her while she sat down and took a sip of her tea.

Sookie returned her stare. She counted to ten before she mustered up the courage to ask the question that was foremost on her mind. "How is he, Pam?"

Pam's expression softened slightly. "He is well…as can be expected." She paused before slipping in the words that twisted a razor sharp knife in Sookie's heart. "He thinks of you often…"

Sookie couldn't prevent herself from visibly grimacing, despite her efforts to mimic Pam's calm demeanor. "That's funny. I'd have never known otherwise," she ground out bitterly. "He hasn't returned my calls or emails. I even sent him a letter to Fangtasia. Nothing. Not even a "Fuck off" text. Just a divorce decree that I didn't even know about." Sookie's voice was hoarse and she fought hard to hold back the tears that were stinging her eyes.

Pam's expression remained neutral as she cooly said, "Eric has not forgotten you and is not ignoring your efforts to communicate without good reason. I cannot tell you specific details regarding his motives or actions at this time, but let it suffice to say that he has not been idle."

Sookie snorted, "Yeah, I'll bet he's been real busy, helping Freyda pick out flower arrangements for the wedding and registering for china!"

Pam abruptly slammed her fist hard on the table, startling Sookie and making the drinks bounce. "Little girl," she hissed, "You know nothing about the pain my master has experienced since you last saw him, the lengths he has gone…" Pam stopped abruptly and straightened her back, in the blink of an eye regaining her composure.

Sookie was rattled. "Pain? What do you mean? Has someone hurt him?" She began to panic, "I thought you said he was well!"

"Calm down Sookie. As I said, I am not at liberty to divulge all of Eric's doings to you. He has had extremely good reason to keep his distance from you. He is constantly under surveillance and has not contacted you due to the risk of interception of his correspondence, which could potentially put you in grave danger…he was given a royal edict to cease all communication with you, under threat of pain of death…."

Sookie gasped and sputtered indignantly, "That bitch threatened to kill Eric?!"

Pam paused and said slowly, "Nooo...the edict pertained to YOUR death. And you, my dear, have been oblivious to the fact that your comings and goings have been tracked. Closely. In fact, while you were at work, I did a sweep of your home to make sure you were not bugged so we could have this conversation without prying eyes and ears."

Sookie sat back in her chair, deflated. "Well shit. Did you…?"

Pam smirked and held up a small plastic bag that she proceeded to empty out on the table. Sookie looked at the shattered electronic devices spread out on the surface. She gulped. "I can't believe it. I feel sick…I had no idea. How? Why would she want to kill me? Why spy on me? I'm not that important."

Pam swept the broken pieces back into the bag and said nonchalantly, "Oh, you're plenty important…you are a telepathic fae hybrid from a royal bloodline who is loved and coveted by one of the most powerful, feared, and desirable vampires in the world." She paused and took an unnecessary breath for dramatic emphasis. "And…said vampire happens to be the unwilling recipient of a queen's political and romantic maneuverings in large part due to his unwavering and burning desire to be with his true love, who is mortal." She stopped and looked expectantly at Sookie.

Okay, that did it. The tears started to flow down Sookie's face. She gave a watery smile and said weakly, "He still loves me?"

Pam rolled her eyes. "Of course. Now stop your leaking. Be the strong part-fae badass I know you are capable of being and listen to me. Now, as I said, I can't gave you many specifics about Eric's motivations for inviting you to the wed-."

"Wait!" Sookie blurted. "Eric is the one who wants me to be at the wedding? I wasn't sure…I thought he might have, just to get closure about us or something."

"Hmmm. Closure. Dear Abby has mentioned this is an important milestone for humans when dealing with difficult situations." She appeared to be reciting memorized information. "But no, he is not wanting "closure." He has requested your presence for other purposes…Purposes that will have to remain shrouded until it is time for the reveal."

Sookie closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was starting to get a sinus or tension headache again. "Okay, Pam. I'll play along with the subterfuge (former word of the day) and let it drop for now. However, it seems like Sam had a good point about me walking into a trap if I decide to go the wedding given everything you told me. I doubt that us waltzing in and you just announcing I am "yours" to a room full of vamp VIPs is going to keep me safe."

Pam huffed and looked offended. "Don't be foolish, Sookie. I have been a very busy vampire. I have made arrangements. I guess you can say I covered all our bases. And, we will have to put forth effort to make it look as if you are truly mine prior to our appearance at the wedding."

Sookie eyed her suspiciously. "Uh oh. I'm afraid to ask, but like what?"

Pam beamed. "Well, let me start by saying I have already submitted paperwork to the king with your signature…"

"Huh? I haven't signed any formal documents lately." Realization hit her. "Oh. Of course, you know how to forge my signature," she said, dripping sarcasm.

"Of course," Pam said without missing a beat. "As I was saying, the document formalizes the pronouncement of you as my pet human, as well as my personal telepath who has agreed to be at the service of his royal highness upon request."

Sookie was dazed. "Huh?"

"Providing your telepathy to him, for a fee of course. The king has approved the paperwork, which has been filed with Mr. Cataliades." Pam leaned in conspiratorially. "I'll have you know, Felipe and Freyda are tight. Following his receipt of the contract, Felipe, according to my sources, promptly faxed a copy to Oklahoma. You are now not only under the formal protection of King Felipe, but you are also his contracted employee. You are now officially too valuable to kill without just cause. Without the killer having to face repercussions." She paused and then added, "Well, publicly that is. I suppose you could always meet an "unfortunate accident" or simply disappear. That risk remains…"

Sookie let out a strangled groan and proceeded to roll her forehead back and forth on the table. Sookie thought of something and abruptly sat up. "Wait a minute. If I am formally under Felipe's protection, and you said I am generally "too valuable" to knock off, at least out in the open, then that means the bitch can't have me killed if I talk to Eric, right? I can stay in touch with him and Eric doesn't need to worry. I'll just have to be more careful."

Pam gave a sober shake of her head. "Sorry. Felipe has his head shoved up Oklahoma's ass in terms of political and financial pacts. Felipe's "protection" only extends so far and is also contingent upon your formal agreement to cease correspondence with my master (which was stipulated in the contract). You, my Sookie, have "signed" your agreement to very specific stipulations that Felipe insisted on including in the contract, obviously under Freyda's influence."

Sookie fumed. "What the hell? If that's the case, then why even attend the wedding? Apparently I am enemy number one and will be killed if I even see Eric!"

"There has been an allowance made per the contractual agreement for you to attend the wedding as your final contact with Eric. Freyda supposedly granted her approval after being approached for "permission" by my master. I assume she agreed to the concession as a pathetic attempt at extending a sorry ass act of good faith to Eric. And…" Pam smirked, "The real reason she agreed to your attendance is that I believe she wants to rub her marriage to Eric in your face. She is a very jealous queen."

Sookie glared at Pam. Frigging high-handed vampires! She spat out between ground teeth, "Fuck Freyda! And I did not "agree" to sign any damned "contract", Pam, and you know it! I can't believe you would go behind my back and sign my life away like that. I also can't believe Mr. Cataliades would betray me…you both have made me into a slave and have assured I will never see or hear from Eric again! I never dreamed he still loved me. It kills me to think that he still wants to be with me and can't because his balls are in a vice. I thought I meant something to you both." She choked, "I considered you friends…"

"Sookie, don't be obtuse. This is all part of the plan. There is a method to the madness. You will not be a slave. I do consider you a friend. You are my favorite breather and my master's love. Trust me. You do trust me, don't you?" At this, she arched an eyebrow and stared at Sookie.

Sookie snorted loudly.

Pam ignored her and continued, "And, prior to our attendance to the wedding, you and I will exchange blood so that we carry each other's scents when we present ourselves to the court." Pam's eyes glazed and Sookie heard her fangs snick down.

"Oh hell no! I'm not opening a vein for you! The Sookie blood bank is not open for withdrawal, Pam!"

"Yes. You. Will. It will be a small exchange, just enough to help convince them of the illusion that you are mine. Believe me, Freyda is going to give you the once over and she will be on the lookout for any sign that the formal contract with my pet telepath was a ruse, Cataliades's involvement or not. This is something that is…"

"Non-negotiable, yeah yeah," Sookie interrupted.

Pam smiled. "That is good. You are in agreement. I knew you would see the logic." She stood and said, "I will have our limo service come to pick you up the day of the wedding. I have chartered a private jet and will be in my travel coffin during the flight. We should arrive right before sunset. We will be staying in a vamp friendly hotel near Freyda's court."

Sookie stayed slumped at the table, suddenly overcome with mental exhaustion as Pam walked to the door. She mumbled tiredly, "You know Pam, I could just say no. I could refuse to go…"

"Ah, but Sookie, I am confident you will go. Your love for Eric will prevail." Pam turned as she opened the screen door and smirked, "Oh, and Sookie? Don't worry about purchasing or packing any clothing. I've already packed for you." She laughed merrily as the screen door banged closed.

Sookie put her head on the table face down and grumbled, "Oh hell…"

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REVIEWS ARE THE CREAM IN MY COFFEE THAT CAFFEINATE MY MUSE!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mystery characters belong to Charlaine Harris. My original characters, however, belong to moi.

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Day of the Wedding

Sookie paced nervously back and forth in her living room. She was waiting for the limo service to pick her up and take her to the airport. In direct opposition to Pam's last directive, she had packed a change of casual clothes and a simple but elegant black floor length sheath dress to wear to the wedding, which was draped over the small suitcase in a modest (and non-matching) garment bag. The dress was form fitting and highlighted her (two) best features. She had tried on the dress earlier in the day and noticed that it hung a bit looser as she had recently lost weight (at least some good had come out of all the stress she had been under!). She thought it looked more flattering on her since the last time she wore it. It had been a bit too snug when she had gone on a dinner/dancing date with Eric (much to his delight at the time, leading to him impatiently strip her out of it as soon as they had returned to his house). Her abdomen clenched as she thought about their frenzied lovemaking that night…reliving the feel of his skillful tongue, hands, and gracious plenty with a sharp pang of longing.

She shook herself out of her bittersweet (and overstimulating!) reverie and glanced out the window for the millionth time as she nervously reflected over the events of the past few days.

~~~~~~Flashback to Earlier in the Week~~~~~~~~

On Tuesday, at closing time at Merlotte's after all the other employees had left for the night, she and Sam had gotten into another heated exchange. However, she had put her foot down and told him that she had made up her mind and for him to drop the subject. He had begrudgingly conceded defeat, but not without energetically reiterating his laundry list of concerns and warnings. He had even offered to go to the wedding with her, much to her surprise, but she had gently declined.

She had tried to stay as busy as possible during the rest of the week, and had also called Jason to let him know she would be out of town for a couple of days. Being Jason, he had initially seemed distracted during the conversation until she mentioned where she kept her will and other important documents. Even being as slow on the uptake as Jason was, he had read between the lines and called her out on the underlying subtext to her message.

"Sook, what kind of shit have you gotten yerself into now? Are you plannin' on somethin' happenin' to you? It ain't got somethin' to do with those damned vampers, does it?"

"Yes, Jason, it does. I'm going to Eric's wedding. And no, I don't plan on anything bad happening to me." She paused but then added, "But knowing my track record, something bad will probably happen." She sighed. "I just want you to be prepared in the event of…" She let her voice trail off and changed the subject by asking him about how things were going at work and the Hotshot clan.

Jason had tried to pump her for more information, but she remained evasive and also had turned him down when he had also (touchingly) offered to accompany her.

To top things off, Bill had paid her a visit Friday night after she had returned home from work. She had just gotten out of her car and was heading for the back door when she felt his void approaching from the direction of his house.

She turned to him and waited until he emerged out of the shadows. She didn't waste time getting to the point. "Hello Bill. Not to be rude, but I am pretty tired and my feet are killing me. I'm not feeling much like talking right now."

His dark eyes appraised her coolly. "Sookie. We must talk and I apparently do not have the luxury of time to wait to broach the subject."

She let out a huge sigh. "Bill, I'm not sure what you are referring to, but I guess we can talk a few minutes in the house. After I take off my shoes and sit for a spell, mind you. I've been on my feet all day and night."

Bill followed her into the house and sat patiently on a wingback chair as she toed her shoes and socks off and plopped down across from on the couch. She grimaced as she rubbed her sore and reddened feet.

"Okay, Bill, I'm all ears. Shoot."

"Sookie," he said in his heavy Southern drawl. "It has come to my attention that you are planning to attend Eric's wedding this weekend. Is this correct?"

"Cut the crap, Bill. You obviously already know that I damned well intend on going. What's your point?"

Bill looked at her, his face expressionless. "Sookie. In the interest of brevity, I will cut to the chase: I am afraid for you. As you can well imagine, you will be walking into a situation where you are not welcomed. Freyda views you as a serious rival, though she does not want this to be common knowledge. Your life could well be forfeit should you attempt to attend the wedding."

Sookie frowned. "Bill. I am already well aware of the risks," here Bill opened up his mouth to interrupt but she held up her hand to continue, "And, I have discussed them with Pam. I plan on attending the wedding with her. Plus," she gritted out, "Freyda has granted her "permission" to "allow" me to be there." She closed her eyes for a moment and got her temper reigned in before continuing, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask, have you been invited? Are you planning on going?"

Bill sighed. "No. I have been asked to help oversee Area 5 in Pam's absence…Sookie. I can see that you have made up your mind, but please, reconsider. I…"

Sookie interrupted him and stood up. "Bill, I really am dead on my feet right now and just want to go to bed. I appreciate your concern, I really do, and I do think you have my, ah, best interests at heart here, but I am going to the wedding. I'd be lying to say I wasn't worried and didn't have reservations, but I've thought it through…I've got my reasons. It's something I have to do."

Bill stood and nodded his head. He approached her and gave her a dry kiss on her forehead before heading out the door without another word. She couldn't shake the feeling that it somehow it felt like he was giving her a final farewell.

She stood at the door for several minutes after he left, staring out at the dark night long after her security motion lights had shut off.

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~

Sookie's heart beat faster as she heard the limo make its way down her gravel driveway. She picked up her small travel bags and stood on the porch after locking her door. She waited for the chauffeur to exit the limousine, but she was surprised when the lone passenger in the back of the car first emerged from the vehicle, a smile on his rotund face.

Her mouth opened in shock but she recovered her manners quickly as she hurriedly made her way down the porch steps to wrap her arms around his thick middle in a hug. "Mr. Cataliades! I am so glad to see you. Boy, you have good timing! I need some advice!"

He beamed. "Yes, my dear, I am sure you are full of questions regarding the upcoming wedding and…our arrangements. I believe Ms. Ravenscroft has filled you in to some extent about the contract?"

Sookie nodded. And he continued. "Excellent. I have brought the document with me and can answer any questions or concerns you may have on our way to the airport. Please do not be upset that I had not brought it to your attention sooner my dear, but time was of the essence and I had to move quickly to finalize the contract at Pam's urging." He smiled apologetically. "Come, let our "chauffer" get your bags while we make ourselves comfortable."

At his cue, Diantha popped out of the driver's side and up to the porch in a blink of an eye. "HiyaSookiegladtoseeya," she blurted as she gave Sookie a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Sookie smiled fondly at her and returned the greeting. She watched as the diminutive demon (wearing a chauffer's cap, purple lycra leggings, hot pink mini tutu, and black corset) quickly tossed her bags in the trunk and disappeared back into the driver's seat.

Sookie approached the door that Mr. Cataliades held open for her and slid into the leather back seat. As the car started backing out of her drive, she realized for the first time in a long time, she felt…hope.

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Ponca City, Oklahoma…The Night Before the Wedding

Eric strode down the loggia of Freyda's mansion, which separated the north and south salons of the grand structure. The property had been specifically chosen for the site of the wedding. The "Marland Mansion" aka, "The Palace of the Prairies" was one of her favorite homes. It was located on an isolated and sprawling estate in Ponca City. It had been built in the 1920's by oil baron and former governor of Oklahoma, E.W. Marland. The mansion had four levels and was over 43,500 square feet, consisting of 55 rooms. In the mansion itself, (not including the servant's quarters, artist studio, boathouse, and other buildings) there were 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens. The architect, John Duncan Forsyth, had incorporated European elements heavily into his design, and the integrity of the original structures had been maintained over time, with only minor renovations and additions made to the original structures (primarily centered around making sleeping quarters light tight for the vampire inhabitants).

One of the most unique features of the estate was the tunnel system that connected the mansion to both the lake house and the artist's studio. The mansion itself was intricate and unusual, and under other circumstances, Eric would have enjoyed further exploring the home and the grounds at his leisure…that is, if he had truly been a guest and not a captive audience.

As it was, as soon as he had approached the gate in his corvette, he had been intercepted by guards and flagged to pull around to follow the winding drive in back of the mansion to another, smaller two-story home that was attached to a multi-car garage.

As soon as he stepped out of his car, one of the two vampire guards who had initially flagged him approached cautiously and nodded a terse greeting. "Northman. As you know, we have incorporated heightened security measures prior to the wedding and have been instructed to inspect all vehicles and persons entering the estate. At her majesty's behest, anyone entering the estate prior to the ceremony is subject to these precautionary measures. No exceptions."

Eric had expected as much, and deduced that it was in part driven by his recent "disappearance." He knew it was folly to argue, but thought it would be suspicious if he did not at least make a half-hearted objection regarding the newly instated policy.

"Am I to understand that even the queen's consort is to be subjected to this indignity?" He glared severely at the guard.

The guard visibly gulped. "Sorry sir, but there is to be no exceptions…and…," here the vamp visibly cringed as he eyed Eric's sword that had been slung across his broad shoulder as he exited the car. "I apologize, but your weapon, your sword...it must be surrendered. All weapons that are not in the service of the royal guard are to be confiscated."

At this, Eric bristled, all pretense dropped. "This is my personal sword that is to be used in a ceremonial capacity during the wedding. It is necessary for the pledging and to the swearing of fealty and service to the queen. I do not allow for others to touch it." He stood with his feet apart, massive arms taut in readiness. "You will contact Freyda now. You will explain the presence of the weapon on my person." He looked down grimly at the shrunken guard.

"Yes, of course, please permit me a moment." At this, the guard pulled out a cellphone and walked a few feet away. Eric listened as the guard spoke to Freyda's lieutenant. There was a pause while he assumed Freyda was consulted.

The guard listened briefly and stated, "Very good, sir, I will let him know." He returned to Eric and relayed the news that he was allowed to keep the sword, but conditionally: he was to surrender the weapon immediately following the ceremony, ostensibly to "help promote an air of peace and accord within the court" according to the bullshit excuse Freyda had undoubtedly fed her lackey.

As he made his way into the mansion, he was "escorted" by four of her personal guardsmen, two vampire and two were. He knew that he would have to answer to her suspicions given that he had essentially disappeared the previous night. In other words, he had damage control to manage. But, he thought with a mental shrug, it had been a necessary evil and there had been no way to avoid it.

Since he had been under near constant surveillance after he was ordered by Felipe to begin making the transition as future consort to Oklahoma several weeks ago, any subversive movements he made came with a price, of raising red flags. He was able to implement the initiation of his and Pam's plans without overt detection because he had waylaid and quickly dispatched the two vamps that had been sent to follow him when he had left the estate before doubling back and unobservedly taking flight that night back to his safehouse.

As they approached the mansion, he waited for the guards to open the ornate doors that led to the south salon that was used as Freyda's formal throne room and waited for them to nod him permission to enter. The fact that she was receiving him in this room and not her personal study was a bad sign.

Freyda sat at the far end of the hall, perched with perfect posture on an ebony black throne, inlaid with 14 carat gold and mother of pearl. The throne was selected to coordinate with the black and white tiles original to the design of the home.

To the right side of her throne stood Hans, her large blonde lieutenant, who strongly resembled Eric in height, build, and coloring, but not in fairness of face. Hans also had a reputation as a formidable warrior. The entire left side of his face was marred by a deep and jagged gash that slanted from forehead to cross an empty eye socket and down his cheek. He glared at Eric with his one remaining eye and stood silently. Freyda was flanked on either side of her throne by four more of her personal guardsmen.

She appraised him coolly as he was allowed to approach her throne. Several moments lapsed before she spoke. "Eric. I see you have found your way back, and seemingly just in time for the wedding. I began to worry about you. I was beginning to think you had absconded with your little barmaid to leave me at the altar," she said icily with a tight smile.

Eric approached her throne and nodded his head slightly in begrudging deference. "Your majesty. I apologize that I was out of pocket, but as I had informed you, I had several issues to attend to in my area, both of a private and political nature, that demanded my presence prior to our nuptials. I had every intention of returning as soon as my business was completed."

Freyda eyed him stoically. "Yes. I see. And what pray tell was the nature of your business? You were quite vague before you left so abruptly. As your future wife and queen, I would think you would want me to be privy to your interests, both pertaining to business and that of a…more private nature."

Eric was stonefaced. He knew it was of crucial importance to tread carefully. He made sure to tell enough of the truth to hopefully placate her while still hiding his true intentions. He also knew that she was aware that her two minions who had been ordered to follow him had failed to report or return back to court…this was indeed a very risky and potentially fatal game of cat and mouse he was playing.

He looked at her with a neutral expression on his face as he began evenly, "I needed to return to my primary residence to retrieve personal belongings, including my sword that you so graciously allowed me to keep on my person, as well as to meet with my underlings in area 5 to make sure that my responsibilities were attended to. Some of the matters demanded my presence, your majesty, and could not be delegated. All issues have now been resolved." He bowed. "You should rest assured, I had no intention of missing our wedding night. It will truly be a night to remember."

There was a pregnant silence in the grand hall before Freyda finally replied, "Yes…I am sure it will be."

Eric bowed without averting his eyes and said, "With your leave, majesty," and turned and walked out of the throne room. Freyda's eyes narrowed as she watched him depart, subtly moving her hand to signal her guards to follow him, her mouth set in a grim line.

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A/N If you are interested, the Marland mansion is real (which is cool and not a little bit creepy in my opinion), and the website has a lot of pictures and factoids that will help you, the reader, visualize the setting for the wedding. The history behind it is fascinating (at least to me) and I thought it was perfect for my story.

THANKS TO ALL THAT FOLLOW AND FAVORITE THIS LITTLE STORY, AND MOST OF ALL, FOR THOSE WHO LEAVE REVIEWS!


	5. Chapter 4

AN: I wanted to give special thanks to the fabulous Lady Doughnuts, who has generously agreed to beta this story! She has written several Eric/Sookie stories-you should check them out if you haven't already! LD, you are awesome! Also, I wanted to credit marilyn59 for the term "go all vampshit" which I thought was hilarious! I know some of you are anxious to get to the wedding (I am too!), but there needed to be additional "filler" content before we can get to the big event. So, not a lot of action in this chapter, but there will be in the near future. As we say in Texas, I hope y'all enjoy! ; )

As always, thanks always to everyone who favorites, follows, and reviews this story! Leaving a review, no matter how brief, is validating and keeps the muse motivated, especially to a "new" fanfiction author who may tend to be overlooked by readers of a particular genre given the plethora of established fanfic writers.

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As Sookie and Mr. Cataliades prepared to board the chartered jet (Diantha had waved to them jauntily as she drove off in the limousine), Pam's day man, Anthony, waited at the bottom of the stairs nervously. He explained that he had already loaded Pam's travel coffin in the main cabin of the airplane and secured it in a special nook (kind of like an oversized luggage compartment, Sookie thought to herself). He gave them the name of the luxury hotel and casino in Ponca City where they would be staying and informed them that a rental car was to be delivered to the hotel. After rapidly relaying the information to them, he turned abruptly with a bow before leaving in rush. Sookie was put off by his behavior but soon relaxed after listening to his thoughts, as he was just nervous about pissing off Pam.

After climbing the stairs and entering the plush interior of the plane, Sookie sat in a leather seat next to Mr. Cataliades, who smiled kindly at her as he propped his briefcase open on his lap.

"Sookie, I have a copy of the contract that was…ahem, signed by you and Pam and approved by King Felipe. I know you had mentioned in the limo that you didn't want to look at it right away, but I do want you to have your copy in case, ah, if for some unforeseen reason in the future you are no longer designated as Ms. Ravenscroft's pet." Here he paused and gave her a loaded look before handing her the document.

She glanced briefly at the contract before tucking it into her large tote. "Well, first of all, Mr. C., I assume you are privy to what is going on and aware that I am not really Pam's pet, so I am not sure what you are referring to. Do you mean…Oh! You mean if something happened to Pam, I would need to read…uh, what would happen to me?"

"Precisely. Felipe insisted that your "ownership" revert to him in the event of Pamela's true death. Unfortunately, this stipulation was was non-negotiable. His attorney advised that he would only sign the document if this clause was included."

Sookie felt like the rug was yanked out from under her. She had no idea…Pam had not mentioned the clause that essentially gave her to Felipe as a slave if she was killed. It was too much. She tilted her head back on the seat and closed her eyes.

Mr. Cataliades gave her a sympathetic look. "My dear, why don't you rest a bit? We have a long night ahead of us and you will need to be at your best tonight. As I'm sure your aware, it is a situation that should not be taken lightly."

Sookie shook her head in a dazed agreement. She quickly fell into a deep sleep and was gently awakened by Mr. Cataliades just before the plane landed. As the plane began its descent onto the runway of the Ponca City Regional Airport, she discovered that the newfound feeling of hope she had experienced in Bon Temps to dissipate rapidly. A gnawing doubt and dark sense of foreboding was starting to bloom deep her in her chest.

She and Mr. Cataliades watched as Pam's coffin was safely placed into the courtesy van that had been arranged through the concierge service from the only vamp friendly hotel and casino in the city (according to the pamphlet Anthony had handed her before their take-off).

While they waited for their luggage to be loaded into the back of the van, Sookie remembered her manners and inquired about his health and well being given her last memory of him being chased by hellhounds. He seemed somewhat embarrassed and was evasive, but explained he had a "misunderstanding" with the daemon high council that had since been resolved. They then spent the majority of the drive in silence, only exchanging brief comments about light topics.

As the van pulled up, Sookie saw that the casino/hotel was sleek and modern, with black-mirrored windows lining the outside of the building. After checking in, Mr. Cataliades and Sookie walked towards the elevator with the attendant who pushed Pam's travel coffin and their luggage on a special cart. After the elevator door dinged open, they exited to stand in a posh garnet carpeted hallway.

Mr. Cataliades grabbed his suitcase and garment bag off the cart and turned to her, "My dear, I will now bid you adieu. I need to freshen up and change my clothing, as I have arranged a car service to drive me to Freyda's mansion. I need to meet with Mr. Northman before your arrival and prior to the...ceremony. I will see you there later." With this, he kissed her lightly on the cheek and opened the door to his room, which was to the right of the suite she and Pam were sharing.

Sookie sighed before turning to their suite. She entered the room as the attendant pushed Pam's coffin into the main sitting area. She asked him to put her into the master bedroom (which was light tight). After she gave him a generous tip (that he was quite grateful to receive when she peeked into his head), Sookie took the opportunity to rest on the bed. She thought to herself that she would rest her eyes just for a moment, but quickly dozed off again. The next thing she knew, she was awakened in bed with a grinning blonde vampire sniffing her neck.

"Holy shit Pam, you scared the bejesus out of me!" She huffed.

Pam looked unapologetic and relaxed as she lay on her side, wearing a pastel blue embroidered Asian inspired lounge set, not a hair out of place or smudge to her artfully applied makeup.

"Hello to you too sunshine. We need to get ready. Come, I want to warm up a blood. After all…mustn't let myself be too hungry and get carried away when we do the blood exchange," she chuckled.

Sookie snorted and crankily followed the giggling vampire, throwing herself onto the leather couch in the living area. Pam walked over to the refrigerator in the kitchenette that had been pre-stocked with True Blood.

She got right to the point. "Pam, I am so glad you are awake. I am a nervous wreck. And to be honest, I'm pissed at you. Mr. C. told me about the "clause" that hands me over to Felipe if something happens to you. Slip your mind to mention that little tidbit?"

Pam waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, that. Don't worry your pretty little head over that. Just a formality and something that could not be avoided in order to get that bastard to approve the contract." She grinned a shark's smile. "Not to fear. Nothing is going to happen to me, doll."

Sookie rolled her eyes and gazed longingly at the minibar. "I feel like making a strong drink right now to help take the edge off my nerves, but after my last hangover I don't think that that would be too smart." She laughed nervously, "I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to walk into the wedding tipsy."

"Hmm. No, it would not be prudent. You need to be alert and in control of all of your faculties, tonight of all nights." Pam removed the bottle of blood from the microwave and sniffed it with a grimace.

Sookie cleared her throat and said worriedly, "Yeah, about that. I've been thinking. Everyone has warned me how dangerous it is for me to attend the wedding: you, Sam, Bill, and even Mr. Cataliades. If it's so risky for me to attend, why would Eric and you want me to come? You say he still loves me and wants to keep me safe, but it seems like I will be just walking into the lion's den. I doubt that he would want to see me only for a minute right before I get killed."

Pam gave her an even look. "Sookie. Remember I had told you that per Felipe's contract, you are a valuable asset and one not easily dispatched." She paused a moment before continuing. "I do need to tell you something that you are not going to like hearing, but…Eric insisted I tell you."

Sookie glared at Pam and said, "Oh shit. I am going to regret asking, but what now?"

"Eric wanted you here because of the risk of your abduction had you stayed in Bon Temps."

Sookie jumped up and started pacing, "Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! I thought I was "too valuable" to knock off!"

"Sookie, calm down. Remember, I had mentioned that it was unlikely you would be killed _publically. _Clandestinely kidnapped, absolutely plausible…and actually, more of a likelihood really given the intelligence our spies intercepted weeks ago. Tortured, executed, and disposed of is also not outside the realm of possibilities. Eric wanted you close to him, so that he could better protect you."

"Protect me? I sincerely doubt it since Freyda has it out for me and has home court advantage. Also, say I survive the wedding and am allowed to walk out without a scratch on my head…who's to say I won't find myself drained and wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of a swamp once I return home?" Sookie said, as she began to tear up.

Pam approached her and gently pushed her back down on the couch, lowering herself beside her. "Sookie." She gently brushed her tears off her cheeks and nudged her chin up so she could look her in the eye. "Do you trust Eric?"

Sookie nodded. "Yes. Especially now that I know what he has been through and how he still loves me, I do.

Pam smiled. "Then trust him, trust in his plans. He has nothing but your best interests, your wellbeing…your happiness at heart. He is a formidable warrior. He has over a millennium of cunning hard won through his experience in numerous battles and he is a master tactician. He will be victorious."

"Pam," Sookie searched the vampire's blue eyes for truth. "You are scaring me. You are making it sound like we are going to a coup and not a wedding."

Pam smiled a wicked fangy grin in response.

Sookie inhaled a sharp intake of breath. "Oh my God, Pam. No…the risk is too great. I sure as hell don't want him married to that bitch, but at least I know he'll still be "alive"…I can't stand the thought of anything happening to him. I can't…" She began to choke and hyperventilate.

Pam looked appalled. "Sookie! You must stop this at once. My master has been strategizing ever since he learned of his maker's betrayal. You must trust. You know some of what he is capable of, but not all. He is well aware of all contingencies."

Sookie bent over and slowly got her breathing normalized. After she centered herself somewhat, she got up and went to the bathroom, grabbing several tissues and blowing her nose loudly. After splashing cold water on her face, she came back out into the living area and stared at Pam for several moments.

"All right. I am going to try to calm down and rely on my faith and trust in him to pull us through this nightmare alive. But Pam, I just don't know how I can stand by and…"

Pam interrupted her. "Sookie, I know you are worried, but time is of the essence. We must hurry. We still must exchange blood and need to get dressed." Here she eyed Sookie critically. "You are going to need some prep work before we leave. You are all red and blotchy. That will not do. You must look your best for Eric."

Sookie frowned. "There is nothing wrong with the way I look, Pam. And by the way, I brought a dress. One that Eric said he really liked when I wore it on one of our dates. "

Pam jumped up and retrieved Sookie's dress from her closet. She held it up and looked at it as if she smelled something distasteful.

"Sookie, while I can appreciate the symbolism of black as the color of mourning, we are going to a wedding, not a funeral."

Sookie was offended. "You know, Pam, people wear black to weddings all the time now, especially evening weddings. It's classic and chic."

Pam rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, regardless of whether it is "classic or chic," you will not be wearing this dress. It looks like something you purchased off a clearance rack. I told you not to pack. I have brought the outfit you are to wear to the wedding."

"Absolutely not, Pam! I am not a damned doll to you are going to play dress up with."

"Sookie, would it make you more amenable to wearing the dress knowing Eric had selected it?"

Sookie was shocked. "Really? He picked me out a dress?"

Pam nodded enthusiastically. "He actually commissioned a special gown for you several months ago. He had planned it for a very special occasion he had in mind. Since he was not afforded the opportunity to give it you in person, he wanted me to present it to you and asked that you agree to wear it tonight."

Pam went into her room and brought out a garment bag the attendant had hung in the master bedroom closet. After Pam unzipped the bag, Sookie gasped when she saw the gown. She exclaimed, "Pam, that looks like a wedding dress! I can't wear that to his and Freyda's wedding!"

"Sookie, this gown, while white and floor length, should not necessarily be construed as a wedding dress." She paused and added, "Although it is. A wedding dress." Pam almost looked sheepish..almost, but not quite.

"Oh HELL NO! What was he thinking, Pam? If I go into Freyda's wedding wearing this dress she'll assassinate me on principle alone! I know he and I were "married" vamp style but it's not like he ever asked me to have a human marriage with him…." Her voice trailed off as realization hit her.

"Pam…before all this Freyda shit, was he planning on asking me to marry him, like have a real human wedding?"

Pam remained silent and looked uncomfortable. Sookie slowly walked over to the gown that she Pam was holding. It was truly beautiful. It was simple but elegant, white flowing silk with a sheer shoulder drape that crossed the bust and softly gathered past the waist in the back. She softly stroked the fabric and whispered, "It's beautiful."

Pam gazed at the gown admirably. "He described the gown to me, which I relayed to the designer. He wanted a dress fit for a goddess. I think it fits his requirements, don't you?"

Sookie smiled sadly and shook her head. "Really, it's lovely, but I can't…it's considered bad form to wear white or off white to a wedding, let alone wear a wedding dress! I'll look pathetic and desperate for attention. It's beyond poor taste. It's not…appropriate."

Pam snorted. "Sookie, this whole fucking wedding is in poor taste and inappropriate! Screw Freyda! My master has been sold into a marriage that is designed to make him nothing more than a glorified servant, a forced mercenary. Everyone who is in attendance is aware of this fact."

Pam took the gown out of the bag and held it up to Sookie before hanging it back up in the closet. She returned and faced Sookie. "Now, enough. You obviously like the dress, and Eric wants you to wear it, so you will wear it. And…I will do your hair and makeup as well. But first," here she grinned a frightening tight-lipped grin (her fangs were peeking out), "We share blood. Come here, Sookie."

Sookie grimaced. "I know that look, Pam, and I need to lay some ground rules with you first."

Pam's tongue shot out of her mouth, briefly licking her lower lip. "Oh please, Sookie, give me some credit here."

Sookie glared at her. "First, we exchange blood by wrist, not neck, or anywhere else."

Pam pouted.

"AND…I need to know you are not going to go all vampshit crazy on me…"

Pam impatiently interrupted. "Sookie, Eric has given me permission to share blood with you this one time given the circumstances. Do you really think I would "go all vampshit crazy" on you and risk his wrath?" She smirked.

"Well…I guess not. But just a small exchange. And I want you to heal it so there are no marks."

Pam zipped back over to the bottled blood, which she quickly chugged with a grimace. "Ok, all better. The edge is off. Let's sit and get this over with so we can get ready for this dog and pony show."

Sookie was impressed. For all of Pam's leering, she was restrained and only took a mouthful of blood before delicately tearing a small wound in her own wrist and holding it up to Sookie's mouth. As Sookie drew on the wound, she noticed Pam's eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned softly.

Sookie reclined back on the couch and gazed at her friend. Pam's eyes were glazed and she smiled dreamily. "Ah, sweet Sookie. You are exquisite. Pity Eric isn't keen on sharing you…at any rate, I can now feel you through our exchange and we at least carry each other's scents." She healed the bite marks, licking the blood residue with relish, her eyes closed. She sighed an exaggerated sigh and stood up and clapped her hands. "Now, show time. Hurry up and shower. I'll dress while you are occupied. Be sure to make it quick."

Sookie took a hot shower, and while brief, it actually helped loosen the knots in her neck and shoulders. She dried off and yelled out at Pam, "I'll be out in a minute. I'm going to blow dry my hair first."

When Sookie emerged from the bathroom wearing the plush black robe supplied by the hotel, she saw Pam had apparently dressed and groomed at vamp speed. She looked fierce and breathtaking. And wearing…black! Damn her! She looked amazing in a form fitting tuxedo style pantsuit. She was wearing a transparent silk shirt underneath, buttoned down to right above her naval and had on extremely high blood red stiletto peep toe heels.

Sookie glared and couldn't help herself. "After that little lecture, you've got the balls to wear black? Didn't you mention it being a bit funereal for the occasion? Not to mention that suit is a bit risqué. That's a hell of a lot of skin showing up on top."

Pam smirked at her. "Oh please. While I tend to favor pastels for casual wear, this is a vampire affair, not a church wedding or a garden party. There will be a wide range of formal clothing seen at the ceremony, but modesty certainly will not be a consideration. Besides…this is couture and I look fabulous in black. And I wanted to wear pants instead of a dress….it's less restrictive. Easier to move around." She spun and demonstrated an elegantly executed roundhouse kick.

Sookie snorted. "Easy to move around? You've got to be shitting me, in those heels?"

Pam gave her an incredulous look. "Oh, you're going to be wearing the same shoes, darling, but in white. They're Louboutins and amazing. Special order, just for us, according to my specifications. The heels on the shoes are…unique."

Sookie groaned. "Pam, you've got to be kidding. Freyda won't have to assassinate me because I will fall and break my neck before I even get there if I have to walk even five feet in those deathtraps."

"Nonsense. They are quite comfortable and you can practice here in the suite before we leave. Now, no more banter. It's time to get down to business. I have a lot of work to do."

Sookie sighed.

Thirty minutes later, at near vamp speed, Sookie found herself dressed in the beautiful goddess styled dress (with matching lingerie that had the unfamiliar label "La Perla" underneath), and fingernails buffed and toenails painted a blush pink (Pam had sprayed a fast drying spray to speed the setting of the polish). Despite Sookie's objections, she placed platinum and diamond drop earrings in her ears before doing her hair.

"Sookie," she said sternly. "No objections. Eric wants you to have the jewelry. He bought it to match the gown." Sookie gulped and wondered to herself how much the earrings were worth. They looked expensive…very expensive.

Pam pulled the sides of Sookie's hair back in a loose knot, and lightly curled the rest into soft waves that cascaded down her back. Pam showed her a gorgeous jeweled comb to be placed above the knot on the back of her head. "Eric also designed this comb for you. He carved and engraved it himself with runes but had a master jeweler inset the diamonds and other gemstones. If you look closely, the ends of the comb are tipped with silver. I will have to be careful to only touch the top of the comb."

Sookie turned and looked at her suspiciously. "Seriously, silver? And they won't notice it when I get there?"

Pam shook her head. "Doubtful. The silver prongs won't be noticeable because they will be covered by your hair. Anyways, if it is discovered, you still have your shoes."

"Shoes?"

"Yes. I had Christian design both pairs of shoes with wooden stilettos. Quite clever, actually…they are painted with a special paint to look like patent leather, but are indeed made of wood. So, in essence, you will have concealed weapons on your person, and no onewill be the wiser. All guests are going to be searched for weapons, hence the creative accessorizing. Now mind you, if all goes according to plan, you will not have need of them. But we all know how things can go pear shaped in a heartbeat, so we wanted to make sure you had some weapons at your disposal. Us girls can never be too prepared." She smiled slyly.

Sookie stood up and looked down at her expensive shoes, which to her surprise were relatively comfortable and easy to walk in due to a platform on the sole. She walked over to the nightstand and grabbed her matching clutch that held a pale pink lipstick, small hairbrush, compact, and hotel key.

Sookie gave herself one last glance in the floor length mirror attached to the closet door. She hardly recognized herself. She looked exotic from the additive effect of the dress, shoes, jewelry, and makeup (Pam had artfully painted her a smoky eye, which added a mysterious air to her look). She turned to Pam, who had retrieved her own bejeweled clutch and was standing by the door. "Well, I guess it's time. I'm as ready as I'm going to get."

Pam held her arm out to Sookie as they walked out of their hotel room. She turned to stare at her with a sober expression. "Yes, Sookie, it's time."


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Southern Vampire Mystery characters belong to Charlaine Harris. My original characters belong to me, and others are loosely based on historical or literary figures.

Thanks again to my beta, Lady Doughnuts. I ended up rewriting parts of this chapter after receiving her edits, and so any remaining errors are mine.

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It was time. Earlier that night, Eric had observed the arrival of many of the vampire and non-vampire guests (weres, demons, and even some prominent humans: all who hobnobbed with supes, for political or business dealings). Unbeknownst to Freyda, he was aware that Felipe had arrived yesterday and was staying in the mansion in one of the guest suites and that they had held a meeting in her private chambers before dawn.

Eric paced back and forth in his bedroom suite, musing.

Tonight, heads would roll, blood would spill, walls would crumble, and the American vampire political hierarchy would be altered. If everything went according to plan, Sookie would soon be safely back in his arms (and bed!). He longed for his lover with an ache that resonated deep within him and he could feel his anticipation and bloodlust steadily rising.

Suppressing his fire with some effort (which required him to first retract his fangs and will down his enormous rock hard erection), Eric strode out of his suite and turned rapidly down the hall, making his way to Freyda's study for their final prenuptial meeting. He chuckled darkly to himself; aware that he was shadowed by Freyda's guards the entire way (at a safe distance, as they all tended to feel ill at ease when in close proximity to him).

Eric strode into the study after being admitted by the omnipresent guards stationed at the door. Freyda was sitting at the end of a heavy and intricately carved rectangular wooden table. She was wearing a white velvet dressing gown with brocade adorning the sleeves, her light brown hair loosely draped around her shoulders. Her attorney sat to her right, a vampire who had been practicing law since his days as a human during the 19th century. Mr. Cataliades stood, gesturing to the other empty chair closest to Freyda.

Eric nodded at Freyda and Mr. Cataliades before approaching the chair. "Desmond. Thank you for coming. I assume you brought finalized copies of our contractual agreement as requested?"

"Mr. Northman, greetings. Yes, we were waiting until you joined us to begin." At this, he popped open the briefcase, which was extra large and capable of accommodating the thick bound documents. He handed the copies to Eric and Freyda.

Over the course of the next half hour, Eric and Freyda reviewed the documents with the two lawyers. It was only a formality, as the specifics of the contract, which pertained to Eric's role as consort and their business dealings and personal holdings, had already been haggled over between the four of them and had gone through several iterations before it was finalized. Eric flipped to the back of the contract and approved of the final clause, which stipulated the transfer of assets in the event of true death. Of course, Freyda was advised to include a provision that blocked transfer should final death occur as a direct result of the actions of the other (translated: as a result of assassination). Eric could not care less about Freyda's assets, and he would feel this way even if he did not have his own near unlimited financial resources. Under vampire law, however, rule of Oklahoma would revert to him, the consort, should Freyda be incapacitated or finally dead. This was a matter that her attorney had contested, but Cataliades had dismissed the attempt, citing legal precedent. The documents were signed and witnessed in blood using a special pen that had a needlepoint stylus used to puncture the vein.

After the meeting concluded, Eric had hoped to speak with Mr. Cataliades briefly prior to the ceremony. As Eric turned to prepare to exit the room with him, Freyda called out. "Eric, if I may, I would like to speak with you for a moment." She nodded to the guards on either side of the door to leave their station so they could be afforded a façade of privacy.

Eric waited until the two attorneys exited the room (Mr. Cataliades had glanced briefly at Eric with one eyebrow subtly raised as he walked past him) before turning to her with a cool expression. "Yes, your majesty?"

She glided over in his direction and gazed at him with an intense expression. With her hair down and absence of makeup, she looked young and vulnerable, which Eric suspected was a calculated move on her part. Nothing Freyda did was without forethought.

"Eric, please call me Freyda…after all, in a few hours we will be wed, and I think that entitles us to be on a first name basis, don't you?" She began to smile but it quickly faded when she took in his grim expression.

Eric bowed slightly to alleviate the tension, and although he was aware of the need to continue the mask of civility but for a little while longer, he had difficulty adopting a more cordial demeanor. "If that is your wish…Freyda."

A seductive heat had quickly infused her eyes. "I know that you still feel an infatuation with that human, but I was informed she is now your child's pet. She is truly no longer yours. I am allowing you to see her tonight prior to the ceremony with the hope that you realize it is time to let go of your passing fancy. It is my wish that, with time, you will come to regard me with…fondness." With these words she edged closer to him, lust heavy in her expression as she licked her lips.

As she approached, she loosened the clasp on the front of her dressing gown, causing the top to slip down her shoulders and expose her breasts. She paused and slowly trailed her fingers down her throat, leading to the swells of her bosom, and lower, attempting to direct his attention to her nipples before she reached out with one hand to caress his cheek.

Eric stared at her with a severe expression, his gaze never leaving her eyes. He caught her wrist in one large hand before it touched his face while pulling her gown up with the other hand, effectively covering her chest. "Freyda. I know we are to wed tonight, but…this is a contractual obligation, nothing more. I love… another."

She stepped back abruptly, as if slapped. Her eyes narrowed as she venomously hissed, "That may be, but as your wife and queen, I am still entitled to a yearly physical consummation of our union, and I require this of you tonight. I care not for your "love!"

Eric regarded her silently for several seconds. He was raging with a near blinding fury but kept his expression neutral. He refused to respond to her demand and instead bowed stiffly. "By your leave," he said as he turned and quickly left the room.

Freyda smashed the heavy door closed behind him, cracking the doorframe. She barely restrained herself from ripping it off its hinges. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her skin, causing blood to stream unheeded onto her gown, the red splattering into lurid Rorschach stains on the white velvet.

She thought to herself, "We shall see. I hope you enjoy seeing your little toy tonight. It's the last time you will. I am not as blind to your maneuverings as you think, Northman."

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As Eric turned down the corridor leading towards his suite, he slowed when he saw the imposing figure leaning against the wall near the door to his room.

Eric was unsurprised. He had already predicted a confrontation by the hulking Bavarian warrior, quite frankly much sooner than on the eve of the wedding.

Eric spoke first. "Hans." He slowly adopted a subtle fight stance, with his right leg slightly behind his left, which shifted to the front as he turned his body slightly.

The huge vampire glared with his his one remaining eye, aware of Eric's maneuverings, but did not shift from his leaning position, arms crossed in front of his massive chest. He paused for several moments before speaking in his thick accented baritone, "Northman. You do not wish to marry my queen and yet you persist with this charade."

Eric begrudgingly gave one nod: an assent. "You are aware that my maker arranged for this marriage prior to his final death. Despite my wishes, I must honor the contract."

At this, Hans pushed off the wall suddenly and barked into Eric's face, "You have no honor. She should be mine!"

Eric did not flinch, and stared unblinking at the enraged vampire. "I see," he paused and looked thoughtfully at him. "Then you must plead your case to the queen. I would like nothing more than to walk away tonight from this farce and return to my former life…"

At this, Hans hung his head, defeated, all hint of violence deflated. "I have tried, to no avail, Viking," he said quietly. With this, he turned without another word and disappeared down the hall.

Eric stared after him, only now realizing that the conversation had taken place in an empty corridor. He assumed Hans had sent the guards away from the post and so took advantage of the rare moment of privacy by entering his room, quickly shutting the door.

While he had predicted a confrontation with Hans, the underlying motivations of the man were…intriguing. He had suspected Hans was threatened by his role of consort and upcoming appointment as her new lieutenant, which would thus demote him to a lower rank in her court. He had not counted on rousing his ire due to his perception of Eric as a romantic rival. He would have to further consider how he would use this information to his benefit.

He also thought about the recent conversation with Freyda that had taken place in the study. He knew that he had humiliated her, thus enflaming her wrath. He was inwardly cursing himself, knowing he shouldn't have baited her, but at the same time, he was beyond tired of the ruse and his anger over the situation had been rising steadily. Now, on the eve of his "wedding," he could barely contain his rage. He would have to make a concerted effort to better contain his bloodlust, and could not allow his fury at Freyda and Felipe to affect the plan that he and Pam had so diligently put into place.

He was also frustrated. Since he had returned from his safe house, he had been unable, due to circumstances of his confine, to safely communicate with Pam or his allies. This was the point in his plan that was most maddening: he would now have to rely on his co-conspirators, to have faith that his child and the trusted few allies would come through for him.

He mentally reviewed the list of allies he had contacted. Some were close friends; others owed him a blood debt to be repaid, while others wished to gain in power following a successful coup.

Bodvar Bjarki, a large bear of a man, was a former Norwegian prince who he had fought alongside in numerous European campaigns. He had a mirthful and loyal personality, and had always been happy to swing a blade on behalf of his Viking friend.

Dragos Voda was a Romanian voivoid, or warlord, who he had befriended in the 16th century during his time as a mercenary. He had rescued Dragos from a beheading during the war in Hungary against the Tatars and so owed Eric a blood debt. He had also readily agreed to help Eric, in part due to a longstanding grudge against Hans, as he had sent his child to his final death centuries ago.

Aloysius Gonzaga was an Italian Jesuit priest who was turned in 1591. He had been an introverted and stoic man, and these personality traits only intensified over the centuries (Pam had had particular difficulty locating him due to his reclusive nature). He had historically strived to live a pious life, both as a human and as a vampire and he deeply disapproved of Eric's pagan beliefs. However, he had agreed to come when called upon, as he also owed him a blood debt.

Lozen was an Apache warrior who had fought alongside Geronimo until her capture and imprisonment. Her maker turned her before she succumbed to tuberculosis after hearing rumors of her prowess as a fighter and gift of prophecy. While Lozen was a relatively younger vampire, she was nonetheless powerful, in part due to the ancient blood of her maker as well as her fierce nature. She had befriended Eric after meeting him through business dealings after his arrival to America and he regarded her as an honest and loyal ally.

Grace O'Malley, "the Sea Queen of Connaught," was a vampire from Ireland, and had been a pirate and chieftain of her clan before her turning. The fire-haired vamp was a former lover of Eric's since he had met her sometime in the 17th century (actually, they were more like immortal fuck buddies, enjoying the occasional romp when their paths crossed over the centuries). Pam reported that Grace had been amused that Eric had fallen for a mortal and was taking such great pains to avoid marriage to Freyda. However, she agreed to help Eric given their long friendship and her intense dislike of Freyda. In addition, she was burning with curiosity to meet the woman who finally tamed the wild Viking, as he had historically been a voracious lover of women but never before given his heart to any he bedded.

Miyamoto Musashi was a famous samurai while human, and who over the centuries became an unparalleled warrior and tactician. He had trained Eric in the art of Shinto-ryu, or classical Japanese swordsmanship. They had developed a strong friendship during Eric's training, and had himself likewise trained Musashi to wield a broadsword.

The two American kings that were allied with him both had a desire to gain territory through their alignment with Eric against Freyda and Felipe.

Francois Levis, King of Oregon, was not a close friend, but had traditionally been on good terms with Eric and respected him as a warrior. He had primarily agreed to assist him after a deal was made to allow him reign over Nevada, as he coveted the wealth of the state and had no love for Felipe.

Stan Davis was also to be in attendance to the wedding and agreed to assist with Eric's plans. While he had been severely injured in the Rhodes bombing, with his maker's blood and Dr. Ludwig's treatment, he had recovered and restored to his former strength. Although he was a friend of Eric and owed him favors, he also had a vested interest in seeing that Eric's plans came to fruition (namely, rule of Oklahoma). He had planned to bring three of his most powerful and trusted sheriff's to accompany him to the wedding to help execute the plans.

Thalia and Palomino were also on Eric's "list" to attend the wedding. The fierce Greek vampiress was a formidable and loyal underling, and her vicious nature would be invaluable in the execution of his plans. Palomino was to assist Thalia in her maneuverings.

The plan was to have Thalia, Palomino, Francois, Stan and his sheriffs attend the wedding as guests. Eric had obtained a blueprint of the Marland Mansion, which had been distributed by Pam to the allies. The blueprint outlined the layout of the entire estate, including the tunnel system that led from the lake house and artist studio. The plan was for the other conspirators to infiltrate the compound using Lake Whitemarsh as the entry point. From there, they planned to travel via tunnels from the boathouse into the main mansion.

Although Eric was aware that all of the estate was well guarded, including the tunnel system, he had to trust in his allies' abilities to subdue and dispatch any guards they encountered before the rest of the compound was alerted. His comrades had centuries of skill as warriors between them and were all well versed in various combat techniques. He had to trust in their ability to breach the mansion's defenses in time to come to his aid.

Eric also had placed his trust in his child to help guard his biggest vulnerability, his Achilles heel and the woman who held his heart. Eric seldom experienced true fear, but he had been afraid for some time about the welfare of his mortal lover. He hated to bring her here in the den of their enemy, but knew she had already been targeted, and her days of living freely were numbered. He had chosen tonight of all nights to make his move, as all of the key players would be in attendance and could be dispatched in one fell swoop. He had tasked Pam with one assignment during the wedding, and that was to protect Sookie above all others, by whatever means possible.

Eric walked over to the French doors in his room, gazing out towards the direction of the lake, his long blonde hair and white skin glowing silver in the moonlight. He knelt with his sword clasped between his massive hands and bowed his head. He quietly whispered an ancient prayer in Old Norse that he had not uttered in centuries.

"Oh, mighty Odin and merciful Freya, I pray you grant me strength so that I may fight bravely after each oncoming tide. Let blood be on my sword, let sweat fall from my brow as I go on the battlefield to strike my foes down. And if I should at last fall let me die a death with honor, to take my place among my forefathers in the great halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever."*

He raised his head and continued to gaze at the moon for several minutes before rising. He quickly dressed in the suit Freyda had tailor made for him, special for this occasion. The tuxedo had tails and was charcoal gray. Underneath, he wore a white silk shirt secured at the collar with a silver gray cravat, which matched the vest. It fit him well but he hated it, because it had been chosen for him by a woman he despised.

He walked to the en suite bathroom and stoically pinned a platinum tiepin engraved with Freyda's royal insignia through the cravat, which she had insisted he wear. He then plaited his long hair in an intricate braid. He gazed unblinking into the mirror for several minutes, mentally reviewing every facet of his plan, evaluating every conceivable tactical possibility.

He then sheathed his broadsword at his hip in its special jewel encrusted scabbard, which was carved in runes that matched Sookie's comb. He was tall enough that the sword hung comfortably at his hip without hindering him as he strode from his room, heading towards the parlor where Freyda had previously agreed to allow him to have his "final" meeting with Sookie before the ceremony.

He paused, stilling momentarily before increasing his pace. He could barely contain his excitement. Pam had arrived. He felt her through their blood bond, which meant that Sookie would be with her, here at the mansion. But then his excitement abruptly turned to worry and then panic, as he began to feel waves of tension and anger shooting through the bond. He began to literally fly down the corridor towards the parlor, startling the guards that stood sentry at various intervals.

As he neared his destination, what he saw from his vantage down the hallway stopped him abruptly in his tracks. He watched the backs of his child and his beautiful lover as they were escorted into the room by guards, followed closely behind by Freyda, who was now coiffed and dressed in her wedding gown. He stood frozen as he watched Freyda turn towards him with a predatory smile as she closed the parlor doors with a resounding boom.

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*Adapted from "A Vikings Prayer" by Aiden Lucid (2007) and from the 13th Warrior

AN: I know, evil cliffy. Sorry about that (wink).

PLEASE REVIEW! I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!


	7. Chapter 6

AN: I apologize for the update delay. I struggled with this chapter; because I initially saw this story taking a very different direction…but when I quit fighting the muse and just went with "the flow" I was able to finally come to a somewhat satisfactory chapter. I hope.

My beta for this story, LadyDoughnuts, is on vacation, and so all mistakes are mine.

Thanks again for everyone who took the time to review last chapter!

Recap: Sookie traveled with Mr. Cataliades to Ponca City, Oklahoma to attend Eric and Freyda's wedding. Pam accompanied her to the event, and they have exchanged blood to help support the ruse that Sookie is Pam's pet. Meanwhile, Eric has been secretly plotting to overthrow the queen with the help of several of his allies. When we last left off, Eric had rejected Freyda's advances and at the end of the chapter, Sookie and Pam were being escorted by Freyda and her guards into a room while Eric looked on down the hallway.

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As the library doors boomed shut, Eric's momentary paralysis thawed. He shot forward like a bullet, intending to wrench the doors from the frame to get to Sookie and Pam. But before he could enter, Felipe appeared in a flash, blocking his way, flanked by Hans and a throng of armed guards.

Felipe held his arm out, as he stood behind two guards. "Northman, if you value their lives, you will back the hell up," he said through a razor sharp smile.

Eric paused momentarily, but his eyes betrayed his murderous thoughts as his hand strayed to the hilt of his sword.

Felipe looked down, and in a calm voice said. "And kindly remove your hand from the sword. _Now_."

Eric ignored him, shaking his head once in refusal. "With all due respect, majesty." He strode forward as the guards pointed their guns at him.

It took every ounce of willpower for Eric to refrain from relieving de Castro's head from his shoulders. The threat of silver bullets alone didn't stop him, but he reigned himself in with great effort when he thought of his vulnerable lover and child.

Eric give a frigid half-bow to Felipe and said, "King, the queen has agreed for me to meet with Ms. Stackhouse prior to the wedding. She signed a contract allowing this and my intent is to follow through with the meeting. Now, if you'll please excuse me," he said in a low and deadly voice, pushing forward.

Felipe nodded to Hans and the guards, who barred the way. Felipe matched Eric's dangerous tones, his fangs bared. "If you value the lives of Ms. Stackhouse and Ravenscroft, you will wait until the queen grants you admission." In the blink of an eye, his expression rapidly changed, his debonair facade clicking back into place instantaneously. "When Freyda has…visited with them, you are more than welcome to your allotted time that was agreed upon."

Eric was livid. In all of his many centuries, he could not recall a time when he felt more enraged, made all the more poignant by his momentary helplessness.

He ground out, "I will wait…briefly…and then I am going in. There will be no more negotiations."

Felipe sighed in mock sadness.

"Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Northman, you must reign in that legendary temper. You wouldn't want something…unfortunate to happen to the ladies, would you? If you play nice, everything will run smoothly."

Eric's fists opened and closed, his muscles aching for violence. But he held himself back, for the moment. He listened for the slightest sign of aggression inside the room, prepared to fly through the wall if necessary.

Sookie and Pam were ushered inside the estate as soon as their car had been allowed admittance. Very little was spoken as they were escorted inside the lobby and taken through a side hall, away from where most of the guests were headed.

Sookie instinctively knew something was amiss as soon as they arrived. As they walked down the corridor, in the corner of her eye she saw the muscles in Pam's jaw twitching. Pam shook her head infinitesimally as they were herded into a room by several guards. They remained standing as Freyda entered the room, her back turned to them momentarily as she slammed the door.

Freyda stayed facing the door with her hands flat on the surface for several seconds, her head down. In the blink of any eye, she turned around, her face serene and pleasant.

"Ms. Stackhouse, Pam, how lovely of you two to come to our wedding. This is such a special occasion for us. I feel so fortunate that you have come to witness our pledging."

Pam bowed slightly with mock deference, "Majesty. Thank you for the invitation, we are honored." Pam was feeding her bullshit back to her, as it was known to all that Freyda had wanted neither of them at the wedding. Eric told her that he had insisted on their attendance, citing that his child's presence was not open to negotiation, and adding Sookie's presence as an early addendum to their pre-nup contract.

Freyda gave a tight-lipped smile and sneered. "Hmm, yes. I see you both dressed for the occasion. Interesting choice of dress, Ms. Stackhouse. If I didn't know any better, I would think that it looks like almost a…wedding dress of some sort."

Sookie glanced at Pam nervously, unsure of how to respond. Luckily, Pam intervened.

"Uh, no queen, it is a gown that I had ordered some time ago, and it was delivered in the wrong size…Fortunately, it was Sookie's size, and so…"

Freyda interrupted her as she strode towards them. "Cut the shit, Pam. I want you and that backwoods trash to know that Eric and I will marry tonight," she continued advancing until she was face to face with Sookie. "And you, you will fade into the woodwork. You've been a toy, a plaything to him and nothing more."

Sookie felt her infamous Stackhouse temper rising. "Freyda. You may force Eric to marry you, and he will probably get over losing me in time, but you can't stop him from loving me…or me loving him." She held the queen's gaze as Pam approached.

"Freyda, you are getting what you want, why waste time bantering with the human?" She looked nervously back and forth between the two women, who were less than a foot away from each other. Pam was fully prepared to stake the bitch with her shoe if necessary, but knew that a complete clusterfuck would ensue. It was all in the timing…

Pam continued, "My master had mentioned that he was to meet with Sookie prior to the wedding…something about it being part of a contract?'

Freyda glanced at her. "I haven't forgotten." She gave an evil smile. "He is waiting just outside these doors."

Sookie felt a jolt of lightning down her spine at hearing that he was nearby., "Eric is here, right now?!" She started towards the door, Freyda and her guards forgotten for the moment.

Freyda reached out and grabbed Sookie's arm, yanking her back with a cruel snap. With her other hand wrapped in Sookie's hair, she hissed into her ear. "Yes, he is out there, waiting for you, but first I have a little message for you all." Freyda nodded at her guards. Two grabbed Pam, one of whom wrenched her arms behind her back while the other placed silver manacles on her wrist.

Freyda then motioned for doors to be opened.

Eric burst past Felipe and Hans, into the room. He froze when he saw Freyda grasping Sookie, looking immediately to Pam, who had been forced to her knees. His eyes narrowed as he approached Freyda while unsheathing his sword.

"You will release Sookie and Pam immediately. I don't give a fuck about our contract. I'll end you now!" He held his sword poised, ready to end her at a moment's notice.

Freyda smiled, unfazed. "Hmm. Yes, well, it would be most unfortunate if Sookie was to have her throat ripped out before you got to me. Of course, there is also the issue of your child's vulnerability. It would be a shame to lose one of our kind over such a simple human."

Eric observed that Sookie was frightened, but he also saw the fire of anger burning bright. He felt torn. Events were not enfolding as he had planned. His allies were hopefully in place, waiting for the signal to enact the plan, but he had not anticipated Freyda's immediate detention of Sookie and Pam.

He glanced at Pam and made a subtle hand signal to her, a question. She blinked twice, a signal for yes. She had contacted Miyamoto en route to the mansion and was given the go ahead. He just had to keep up the charade for a little while longer.

He sheathed his sword, trying a different tactic meant to stall for time. "Freyda, this was not part of the agreement. I will not go forth with the wedding tonight if you do not release both of them immediately. I will have Cataliades summoned, who will file a grievance with the council for your breach of contract."

Freyda smiled as she let go of Sookie, pushing her roughly into Eric, who reached out and enfolded her into his arms.

Freyda looked at them with distaste. "As the contract states, you have half an hour with her."

Eric couldn't resist bending down and burying his head into the side of her face and hair, inhaling deeply and whispering into her ear, "You came, lover…thank you for trusting me."

She turned her lips to his, meeting him in a brief but intense kiss.

Freyda interrupted, biting out. "At least have the courtesy of refraining from insulting me with your public display of affection. You will have your time together, but first, I have a message to relay to you from one of your friends." She glanced at Felipe, who shared a smug smile with her. She then nodded to Hans and the guards.

The guards raised Pam to her feet. She looked livid and bit out, "This suit is couture. If the fabric has been damaged, you will be getting a bill from me!"

Eric stayed close to Sookie and growled menacingly when a guard began to touch her. "You are not to touch her!"

The guard backed up and looked questioningly at the queen, who coolly studied them before nodding her assent.

She turned and gestured with her hand, signaling that everyone was to be escorted down the hall. They were all taken down the west wing of the estate, away from where the wedding ceremony was to take place. Hans opened the door to a sitting room, ushering everyone inside. One of the guards closed the door behind them, and then another turned to a bookcase, pushing it aside to reveal steps leading down into a tunnel.

Eric froze. This tunnel was not noted to be on the blueprints and must have been added at some point after Freyda taken over the estate. If he had a heart, it would have been pounding, as he suspected that the stairs led to the underground system that his allies would be navigating.

Sookie looked up at him, fear rounding her eyes. Eric pulled her closer, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. His other hand stayed on the hilt of his sword.

Hans and Freyda led the procession with her personal guards followed by Pam, Eric, Sookie. Felipe and the rest of the guards walked behind them. At the end of the stairwell was a large room that had held several silver barred cells. In one of the cells, a vampire was strapped to a chair, his head down on his chest. He was drenched in blackened blood and missing both arms, which were cleanly lopped off, close to the shoulders.

Sookie gasped when she saw the dark hair, at once realizing who sat in the cell. "Bill!" She leaped forward towards him, but Eric pulled her back.

She turned to Freyda and spat. "Oh my God, you bitch! What have you done to him?" She sobbed and turned to Eric. "Did you know anything about this?"

Eric shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line. "I did not." He turned to Freyda, his eyes blazing in fury. "What is the meaning of this? Why has one of my Area 5 vampires been taken captive and tortured?"

Felipe interrupted as he walked up to stand next to Freyda. "Actually, Sheriff, he is a vampire in my retinue, and I was aware that he was brought before the queen. In fact, I ordered his arrest and transport.

Sookie continued to cry. "I just saw him the other day…he, he said he was going to stay behind and take care of things while you and Pam were away. He told me… he begged me not to come here…" She turned to stare incredulously at the monarchs. "Why, why did you do this to him?'

Freyda laughed and clapped her hands. "Well, why don't we let him tell you himself?" She waved to one of her guards to unlock the cell. She shook her head dramatically. "Hmm, there seems to be a mess upon the floor. I'm afraid I can't risk getting soiled before the wedding, now can I?" She giggled. "Felipe, would you do me the honors? Don't worry, I will have one of my attendants clean your shoes."

Felipe smiled and bowed. "Of course, my dear. He may be difficult to rouse, I'm afraid. Do you have any blood on hand? "

Freyda nodded at Hans, who went to a steel cabinet that was in the corner of the room. Without a word, Hans grabbed a True Blood and stoically unscrewed the cap while entering Bill's cell. Unceremoniously, he grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head up from off his chest.

Bill groaned softly as Hans thrust the bottle between his lips, pouring the liquid down his throat. Bill gulped down the drink as dark red fluid dribbled out the sides of his slack mouth. Hans continued holding his head up as he emptied the last of the contents.

Felipe entered the cell, fastidiously walking around the bloodiest areas of the floor. Peering into Bill's unresponsive face, he sighed and spoke to Hans. "Wake him."

Hans slapped Bill's face twice, while still grasping a fistful of his hair. Bill moaned louder, his eyelids fluttering.

"Mr. Compton, please excuse the interruption. I hate to disturb your, ah, repose, but we wish to speak to you!" He smiled while he spoke in friendly, conversational tones.

Bill struggled to open his eyes, one of which was partially blood encrusted.

"Do you understand what I am saying, Mr. Compton?'

Hans released his hair and Bill slowly nodded his assent.

Felipe chuckled as he rose up, "Excellent!" He turned to Freyda. "He's awake, majesty." He smiled at Eric. "What did you wish to ask Mr. Compton?"

Bill groggily focused, his stare instantly zeroing in on Sookie. "Sookie?" he rasped. "Please forgive me! I tried to stop you from going…they came after you left…" He sobbed, "God, they said you would be safe if I told them the truth. They said you'd…."

Felipe backhanded him and spoke softly in his ear. "Oh, she is not really your concern any longer, is she Mr. Compton? And I believe you may have answered any questions Mr. Northman likely had. Isn't that right?" He beamed at Eric.

Freyda shook her head in mock disappointment. "Now Felipe, don't presume to answer for my betrothed. I would bet that the Area 5 Sheriff would likely have some questions for Mr. Compton." Here she leveled a seething look at Eric. "Isn't that what Sheriff's do? Interrogate suspects who are detained for treason?"

Eric stiffened. He kept his features as noncommittal as possible before answering, "I don't know what you are alluding to, my queen, as Bill has not demonstrated any treasonous behaviors that I am aware of. And as Sookie mentioned, he was overseeing Fangtasia and my routine Area 5 duties while Pam and I were away."

Freyda zipped in front of Eric's face, her fangs bared. "Yes, he is quite the little helper, isn't he? If it weren't for his confession, I would have been none the wiser that you were planning a coup tonight."

Eric remained motionless and didn't reply to her accusation.

Freyda smirked and nodded her head. "Yes, Viking, I know all about your plan, your allies, their point of infiltration into my estate. Even as we speak, I have my elite guard intercepting your friends."

Eric pulled his broadsword out of its sheath, quick as lightning and moved to cut off the queen's head. However, she was pushed out of the way by Hans, who turned his back to Eric's blade, which bit deeply into his spinal cord.

Freyda fell to the ground and screamed, "Take his sword, he's deadly with that fucking thing!"

The guards rushed Eric as Sookie screamed and Pam struggled to break her bonds. It took eight guards to disarm him while they beat him with the butts of their guns, though he was able to tear off the head of one and thrust his fist through the chest of another, yanking out his heart. He continued to fight the guards even as he fell to the ground.

Pam got free of her captors clutches for a brief moment, beheading one by jumping behind him and yanking the chain of her cuffs around his neck while she braced her knee in the small of his back.

Freyda shrieked, "Put that bitch in one of the cells!"

Pam was dragged kicking and thrown into the cell adjoining Bill's.

In the midst of the melee, Felipe grabbed Sookie and clamped a hand over her mouth. He pulled her away from the fray as he whispered into her ear, "Stay calm, my dear. You need to be smart about this. Let Freyda handle this in her way, let her marry the Viking, and you will live to see another day, I will see to it." He paused as he watched Eric struggle under the pile of vampires. "I will annul your status as Ms. Ravenscroft's pet, and you will instead come back with me to Nevada."

Felipe kept his iron grip on Sookie as she struggled, tears streaming down her face.

Freyda looked at Hans with distaste as he dragged himself by his arms to be closer to her. She rolled her eyes at him. "Hurry up and heal, for Christ's sake. I'm going to need you to help keep him in his place!" Hans looked up at her with an indecipherable expression on his face, but nodded his head in obeisance. She had one of her guards summon additional backup.

Freyda walked over to Eric when the new onslaught of guards finally overpowered him and pinned him to the ground.

She looked down at him and said, "Now you listen to me, Northman. You are going to go forth with this wedding ceremony tonight." He looked up at her with gritted teeth, the veins on his neck standing out. "The barmaid and your child are insurance that I will have your complete cooperation."

"My soldiers should have already neutralized your co-conspirators. But… if any were able to get past them, they are to stand down and surrender. If you aren't able to leash them in, your child will meet the final death."

She bent down and hissed into his face, "I may be centuries younger than you, but you have grossly underestimated me. You have fucked with the wrong woman! I have had enough of your shit, and from here on out you will toe the line. Now, I have made a deal with Felipe that he can have the telepath, but if you keep pushing me, I will end her. Mark my words."

With this final warning, she turned to her guards and called over her shoulder, "Bring him. He has ruined his suit, but luckily I have another waiting in my chambers," she turned her head in Felipe's direction and sneered at Sookie. "She comes as well. I want her to see him pledge himself to me. Then do what you want with her, just keep her the hell out of my sight, because if I see her after the ceremony she is meat."

Guards wearing thick leather gloves raised Eric up, as silver cuffs were placed on his hands and feet. He looked over at Pam. "Tappa inte modet, hålla sig till planen. Överleva, barn. [Don't lose heart, keep to the plan. Stay alive, child.)

He turned back to Freyda. "You will not live past your wedding night if Sookie is harmed." He began to struggle again in his chains.

Freyda shook her head. "So stubborn…." She nodded to the guards who fell on him, beating him until he blacked out. She smiled as she left the room with her guards, followed by Hans, who had healed sufficiently to stumble upright.

Felipe kept his grip on Sookie, who was screaming and trying to fight her way to Eric. "You bastards, quit hitting him, God, please," she sobbed. She watched in horror as three of the guards lifted his massive frame.

Felipe chuckled as he dragged her to the door. As they walked down the hall, the lights suddenly went out. A series of explosions reverberated in the corridor, followed by distant screams.

Sookie yelped as she was knocked to the ground by the concussive force of a blast. She then heard the sounds of grunts, curses, and gasps of pain. She lay still, curled up in a ball, hoping she would be overlooked in the confusion. Suddenly, a cold hand grasped her arm and pulled her up. An unfamiliar voice whispered in her ear, "We must hurry…we're here to help you and the Viking!"


	8. Chapter 7

_AN: Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback and constructive criticism. Also, a big thanks to my beta, Lady Doughnuts for her unending support and encouragement. I tweaked this chapter after she had edited it, so any mistakes are mine._

_When we left off, Freyda and Felipe had taken Sookie and Pam down to an underground jail. Pam was cuffed and put into one of the cells and Eric found out that Bill had betrayed him, telling Freyda of his plans to take over her kingdom. Sookie was "given" to Felipe and Eric was beaten unconscious by several guards at Freyda's command. At the end of the chapter, an explosion blasted in the tunnel near the jail…_

…

…

Sookie squealed in fear and pulled away from the mysterious stranger but paused when the lights suddenly flickered back on. A ginger-haired vampire dressed in black grabbed her shoulders. The woman spoke urgently to her in an Irish accent, "We don't have time for this, blondie! Come on, now!" She began pulling her further down the corridor.

Sookie quickly regained her composure. "Wait, Eric and Pam are back there!"

The woman turned to her and smiled. "Not to worry, lass. I was told to get you to a safe place. Bodvar and Dragos are helping them."

As if in answer to her statement, a loud bass roar echoed in the hall and was followed by the clanging of metal.

Sookie heard Pam yell, "Get these fucking cuffs off of me! I have to help my master, damn it!" Sookie heard cursing and more clinking metal noises. Pam's low murmurs were barely audible, but then she heard Eric answer her.

She screamed out, "Eric, Pam!"

In the blink of an eye, Pam appeared by her side and grabbed her by the hand. Pam turned to the woman. "I've got her, Grace. Bodvar says to meet back up with the Jesuit and Miyamoto." She smirked. "And oh, by the way, good job with dispatching these fuckers. They didn't know what hit them!"

Grace smiled and bowed. "Aye, looks like we arrived just in time. The Viking got himself into a bit of a fix, hasn't he? Well…I owed him a favor, so this makes us even." She winked at Sookie before taking off down the corridor.

Sookie shot a questioning look at Pam, who shrugged and headed back towards the jail. Sookie stumbled along after her. At one point, she tripped and nearly fell on a severed arm. She gulped when she saw a dismembered guard who was trying to crawl down the hall. Pam turned and jabbed her heel into his back, causing him to burst asunder. Pam cringed as she looked down at her pants, no doubt trying to figure out if she could salvage her designer suit.

Once in the jail, Sookie saw a giant, heavily muscled man with a beard and a smaller, swarthy man with a thin moustache who was bending down to examine Eric. Both men were wearing militaristic looking clothing and gear.

Sookie saw that Eric was awake but still sprawled on the floor. She fell heavily to her knees beside him. "Eric, oh my God, are you okay?" she said breathlessly.

He raised his head and put his mouth to her ear. "Lover, I am well. I am sorry that…"

Sookie interrupted him. "Shh. No apologies. I am just glad that none of us were killed. We're still alive-that's all that matters to me." She kissed him softly, ignoring the blood that was starting to congeal on his face. She leaned her forehead to his and whispered, "God, you have no idea how much I've missed you!"

He caressed her face and stared into her eyes. "And I you, lover."

They embraced without speaking for several moments before Sookie bared her neck to him.

"I want you to drink. You need to replenish your strength. Take enough to heal your injuries, and then we can get some of the True Blood out of that cabinet to supplement my blood if you need it."

Bodvar was watching them. "Brother, she is right. We must hurry. Freyda and that de Castro bastard escaped down a side tunnel when we broke through."

Eric cursed softly. "It figures. They have an uncanny knack for self-preservation, above all else. It appears that her additions to the tunnel system were not reflected on the blueprints I had obtained. Fuck." He paused for a moment before he said, "I want all resources directed into finding them both. This ends tonight."

Dragos answered with an evil smile. "And I have a special favor to return to Hans. One that I have been waiting a long time to repay." He had never forgotten Hans's role in the death of his child.

Eric sat up as he gently caressed Sookie's face. "I will take you up on your offer, but only a mouthful or two." He nuzzled Sookie's neck before gently piercing her skin. Sookie gasped and Eric moaned softly while drinking from her. He pierced his finger and rubbed his blood into the tiny wounds and then gently licked her. He whispered, "Thank you, lover."

He turned to Pam. "I could taste a faint trace of your blood in her."

She smirked, "Yes, we did an exchange before we came here, to help convince Freyda that Sookie was now mine…fat lot of good it did, huh?"

Eric shook his head in disgust. "Well, it would have, but we didn't count on the traitor in our midst." He rose up, pulling Sookie with him. He stared grimly at Bill, who remained slumped in the chair in his cell, though the door was left ajar and his chains had been removed.

Eric said, "This is the last time that you betray me and mine." He flashed into the cell, placing his hands on Bill's neck. However, before he could wrench his head off, Sookie screamed.

"Eric! Wait!"

Eric turned to her with a peeved expression, his eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Bill leaned back heavily and stared at Sookie with a pained expression on his face. "No. Eric is right. End me now…I deserve it after what I have done…everything I have done…"

Sookie shook her head. "Just shut up, Bill…" She sounded tired as she spoke. "Why…why would you fall for their bullshit? Why didn't you trust that Eric would come through? It doesn't make sense." She gazed at him, the myriad of emotions she was experiencing flashing across her face. She sighed and turned to Eric. "Please don't kill him. Can't you just…I don't know, banish him or something once this is all over?"

Eric looked exasperated. "Sookie, you don't understand what it means to overthrow Freyda and Felipe. I will be king of several territories. Bill is a traitor and what he has done…" He shook his head. "He deserves death." He added under his breath, "I should have known better than to trust such a duplicitous piece of shit." He turned to Bill.

"Against my better judgment I will honor Sookie's request not to kill you immediately. But-you are going to help as a lookout for Pam and a shield for Sookie."

Bill weakly replied, "Eric, my arms are gone…I am not able to…"

Eric interrupted him. "I don't give a fuck that your arms are gone. You will shield her with your body, with your life, if necessary."

Bill nodded and spoke to Sookie. "I'm so sorry, they threatened to kill you if I didn't talk. I didn't tell them, I held out and they…cut off my arms. I told them I would rather die. But…Freyda said that you would be given to Felipe, who would keep you safe…otherwise, she was going to have you assassinated before Eric even-."

Pam interrupted. "Shut the fuck up." She turned to Eric. "Screw him. We need to hurry up and get out of here."

Eric continued staring at Bill while he answered her. "Yes, but first I need more blood." He turned to Sookie and whispered, "Are you sure…you want me to spare him?" She nodded and he sighed before continuing.

"Compton also needs some blood. I don't want anyone burdened by him. If nothing else, he can be used as a decoy or meat shield."

Pam rolled her eyes but went to the cabinet in the corner, tossing Eric two bottles of True Blood and taking a six-pack into Bill's cell. She took the cap off a bottle and narrowed her eyes at him before smacking his head hard.

She sneered in his face. "Open up. You need to drink so you'll have enough strength to walk on your own." He obeyed and she quickly poured the bottles into his mouth while he gulped. She nodded when he was able to stand without support. She threw a disdainful look his way as she walked out of the cell. "Make yourself useful. You are lucky my maker spared you. I'd have ended your sorry ass."

Bill slowly walked out of the cell. He didn't look up at Sookie as he muttered, "I'll make it up to you. I swear it."

After drinking the bottled blood, Eric sought out Bodvar and Dragos, who stood together and were speaking rapidly in low tones. Eric stiffened when he heard that Freyda's guards had ended Francois and gravely injured Lozan, who was forced to pull back.

Eric addressed them. "And the others?"

Dragos answered. "Grace entered the tunnels with us but is now with Aloysius and Miyamoto while they secure the perimeter. We had Stan and some of the others help with setting off the bombs. Most of the guests and Freyda's staff have fled but there are some who remain. I don't know where their loyalties lie.'

Eric nodded. "Well, I suspect that if they didn't flee, they are not necessarily sympathetic with the current regime. And if that's the case, we will have more support and if not…we end anyone who directly opposes us." He mused for a few seconds. "The bottom line is that Freyda and Felipe must be accounted for. If they are able to escape, they will garner the Council's support against me for the crime of high treason. I have to usurp the throne through force, and have Cataliades file breach of contract against Freyda in order for my ascension to be formally recognized." He sighed. "As it is, I am going to have to answer to the Council anyway."

Sookie looked at him, aghast. "The Council…Oh my God, Eric. Are they going to come after you?"

He shrugged. "I trust Desmond to have the legalities covered in this situation. Actually, her imprisonment of Pam and Felipe's attempt to take you will help strengthen the grounds of my moving against her."

Pam spoke up. "Yes, Felipe insisted that a clause be included in our contract that would revert ownership of Sookie to him in the event of my true death. He had much to gain from my assassination."

Sookie interrupted. "What about Felipe? How will you explain his death?"

"Regicide in his case will be done in retaliation for his move against the new monarch of Oklahoma-yours truly." Eric gave her an evil smile.

Sookie looked at him and shook her head. Vampire politics were dizzying. She frowned and rubbed her temples, trying to will away a headache that was starting to take root.

Eric turned to Pam and continued. "Bodvar, Dragos, and I will secure the tunnel. After it is safe, I will call to you to bring Sookie out. Take care of her, Pam." He gave her a level stare while cupping her face in his hands. "You cannot allow yourself to be cuffed or jailed again." Pam winced, managing to look both embarrassed and pissed simultaneously.

He then turned to Bill. "And you…you owe Sookie your life. It is because of her that I don't end your sorry ass right here and now. You're not worth much, even when you had arms, but you proved yourself once before with the water fae. But you have made a fatal mistake. Had you kept your mouth shut, Sookie would have been safe and my position secure. You have endangered her further while trying to "protect" her." He glared at Bill without pity. He still had every intention of ending him, though he would keep up the ruse for Sookie's sake until after the coup.

Bill nodded but didn't meet his eyes. "I swear, I'll do what I can, whatever I can."

"Protect Sookie and do exactly what Pam tells you to do," Eric snapped. He walked towards the door with the other vampires without another word.

Sookie ran to Eric and grabbed his hand. "Don't leave me. We shouldn't be separated. Never again. Bad things happen when we're apart. Please, let me come with you."

Eric shook his head as he smoothed her hair back. "No, lover. You are safest here right now. I have been told that there are still some of Freyda's guards further down the tunnel and unfortunately you are not immune to bullets. Pam," he paused as he grimaced at Bill, "and Compton will protect you until I give the signal that you can come above ground." She began to cry, silent tears streaming down her face as she shook her head.

He held her chin in his large hand. "Listen to me. I need to end Freyda and Felipe. Otherwise, you and I cannot be together in peace." He bent down and kissed her head.

Sookie closed her eyes for a moment but then nodded her head, reluctantly agreeing with him.

Bodvar motioned him over. "Come, brother, let us swing our swords together as of old."

Eric cursed, suddenly remembering. "Fuck…They took my sword!"

Bodvar smiled. "Then it is good I brought a spare!" He pulled out a sword that was sheathed across his back and threw it to Eric.

Eric caught it and tested it's weight as he made some practice cuts through the air. "It's not as good as my Zweihänder, but it'll do!" He grinned.

Bodvar burst out laughing as Eric clapped him on the back while Dragos shook his head.

"Really, you two are going to rely only on your swords? We have grenades and look around, there are automatic assault rifles at our disposal! They are better than the ones we were using." His eyes glowed as picked one off the floor from a dead were guard. He nodded his head in approval. "These are not even in mass production. They are Belgian produced, made for U.S. Special Forces…they are quite impressive weapons." He popped out the ammo magazine and inspected the rounds. "Silver, of course. Freyda is a resourceful little cunt, isn't she?"

Dragos walked around the room and out in the corridor, hunting for more guns. He called out to Eric and Bodvar. "I found some that aren't too coated in shit."

He came in and tossed guns to the two men and to Pam, who caught them easily. They quickly familiarized themselves with the weapons.

Once again, they spoke rapidly in a language that was unfamiliar to Sookie. Eric nodded his head and seemed to be giving them orders. They began to file out of the room.

As Eric turned to go, Sookie ran to him and they met in a passionate embrace. He bent down and she whispered in his ear, "I…I love you. Come back to me soon." She swallowed back a sob.

He gave her a chaste, gentle kiss and said, "And I love you. I had hoped for a different outcome tonight, but events didn't quite unfold as planned." He glanced down at her dress as he murmured, "I knew that the dress would be stunning on you…but unfortunately it hasn't held up well, has it?"

Sookie looked down at her dress, which was torn and covered with splotches of blood, while shaking her head forlornly.

He hugged her close and said softly, "Not to worry, I will have another made and you will wear it when we pledge ourselves to one another." He looked her in the eye. He appeared unsure of himself, which was unusual for him. "I never asked for your hand before…the pledging we did in front of Victor was not as I had initially intended. I am not yet King, but I ask you now, lover, will you be my wife? As I told you before, you already were…in every sense of the word, even after I was forced to send the divorce decree to you…"

Sookie laughed, with tears in her eyes. "It's not all candlelight dinner and roses, but I'll take it!" She gazed in his eyes and whispered, "Yes, I'll marry you."

He bent down and picked her up, kissing her in such a way that it left her breathless and a little dazed when he put her down. He beamed at her and caressed her face before he hardened and stood up to his full height. "Lover, I have to go. We will secure the tunnel and then come back for you." He embraced her one last time and then vanished down the hall with the other two men.

As they followed the underground corridor, Eric saw that the ceiling had collapsed from one of the blasts. The way was partly blocked with broken rock and debris. He paused and listened and then turned and nodded to Bodvar, gesturing with his hand. Bodvar silently passed him a grenade. Eric pulled the pin and launched it with perfect accuracy through a small opening in the rubble. A few seconds elapsedbefore an explosion reverberated through the tunnel, followed by the sounds of men cursing and screaming in pain.

As soon as the grenade detonated, Eric and the others thrust their way through the rock. Bodvar and Dragos crouched and quickly dispersed to opposite sides of the tunnel, pressing into the walls. Eric had flown unseen in the smoke to the top of the ceiling before dropping down upon the stunned guards, who had been focused on the other two men.

Eric was deadly with the sword, beheading several of them in the blink of an eye. While Bodvar cut a similar swath of death with his sword, Dragos sprayed the rest with silver bullets, using controlled, accurate blasts from his assault rifle.

Soon, there was silence in the tunnel. The three friends looked at each other and Bodvar let out a great booming laugh. "Well now, brother…That went well! If the rest of your coup goes this easy, we will have plenty of time to celebrate before dawn!"

Eric chuckled and walked around the grisly remains on the floor, heading back in the direction of the jail. The other men waited by the stairwell that led up to the room Eric had descended with Freyda earlier that night.

Eric called to Pam that it was safe to bring Sookie up and flew to meet them. He caught Sookie in a heated embrace. "Lover, now it is safe to go above ground."

She frowned and said, "I heard an explosion and gunfire…I was so worried."

He carried her bridal style and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. All is well, for the moment." Eric carried her the rest of the way up the stairs, followed by Pam and Bill.

He put Sookie down as soon as they entered the room. The group made their way into the main corridor and sought out the north salon, where the wedding ceremony was to have been held. There they saw Stan Davis, Thalia, and Mr. Cataliades. There were also some other vampires who were members of Freyda's court. He approached Stan and clasped his shoulder and nodded to the others in greeting.

Mr. Cataliades came up and hugged Sookie, his typical calm and stately demeanor marred with concern. "Child! Thank goodness…I am relieved to see that you are safe!"

She nodded and returned his hug. "I'm okay, just a little rattled by everything that's happened since we got here. Freyda had Pam cuffed and took us down to an underground jail." She turned to look at Bill, who had slunk to stand in the back, but didn't mention his role in their capture.

Eric turned to the group. "My friends, thank you for your help. I see you've been…busy." He looked around the room and saw dead were guards and piles of bloody tissue on the floor indicating where vamps had fallen.

Stan nodded his head. "Yeah. I don't think Freyda was expecting an early attack in this room. Took them by surprise." He smiled but then told him how Palomino had met final death as she pulled Thalia to safety after she had been shot.

Thalia was bloodied, and although she was healed, it was obvious she had sustained multiple bullet wounds given the condition of her clothing, which was ripped and stained. She looked fierce as she bit out, "I will avenge her."

Eric nodded but said, "Remember our objective here."

Stan playfully punched Eric's arm. "Where were you, man? We were waiting for the signal and when you didn't show up with the queen, everything went to shit…her guards started swarming and we had to set off the bombs anyway and hope that you guys would show as we planned."

Eric nodded his head. "Yeah, things got fucked up. Compton sold us out and Freyda had taken Sookie and Pam as collateral. She had my balls in a vice." He looked at Sookie and said, "She targeted my only vulnerability but now there will be no stopping me." The vampires turned and glared at Bill, while Thalia hissed and began to advance on him**.**

Eric held her back. "I am sparing him…for now…with the understanding that he is to help Pam and Sookie."

Eric turned to Cataliades, who he noticed had a large blood smear down his head and dust on his suit. "I am surprised to see you here, Desmond. I thought you were planning on staying a "neutral" figure until after the coup. I hope this won't compromise my and your credibility with the Council."

"I am afraid I cannot remain a neutral party in this situation. Not when my goddaughter is at risk. I will help protect her. I am prepared to handle any legal ramifications that arise from my, uh, active role in the outcome of tonight's events," the demon said with a polite smile.

Eric clapped him on the back. "Good man. I feel better knowing you have our backs."

Mr. Cataliades bowed slightly and said. "I saw a room near the lobby that would be perfect for us to take shelter in while you claim your kingdom." He gave a polite bow to Eric and took Sookie's arm and began heading to one of the exits, followed by Pam and Bill.

Sookie turned to Eric and said, "Please be careful. And come back to me soon."

He smiled at her. "I will. Stay close to Pam and Desmond." He ignored Bill, who shuffled awkwardly along after them.

The smile immediately vanished from his face as he turned to address the small group of Freyda's retinue that had stayed behind. They watched him warily as he spoke. "You understand what is going on here?"

Several nodded their heads and a familiar man stepped forward and bowed. Eric recognized him as Merrill, one of Freyda's top advisors.

"Northman. We wish to pledge our allegiance to you and will help you if you grant us clemency."

Eric gave them an appraising gaze. "If that is true, then you must prove your worth. Help us secure the rest of the estate. You do this for me, and clemency will be granted."

Merril nodded his head and said, "Please give us a moment to confer." He then turned and briefly conversed with his group. After apparently reaching consensus, he replied, "Agreed. Tell us what to do."

Eric nodded to Dragos, who went over to give them directives.

Eric turned back to Bodvar and Stan and said, "The primary objective now is taking out Freyda and Felipe. Understood?" He motioned to Dragos with his head. "Dragos has dibs on Hans, though…old grudge." The man turned and caught his gaze, his eyes glittering as he nodded.

Eric addressed Stan. "Is it possible that they escaped during the confusion? Perhaps out of the tunnels, near the infiltration points?"

Stan shook his head. "It's possible, but I don't think so. I had some of my and Francois's men planted around the gate and out by the lake. We basically covered the whole perimeter of the estate so they wouldn't have been able to leave through the front entrance, even in the confusion with all the guests running out. I think that bitch and de Castro are still here."

Merrill was listening intently and spoke up. "I can tell you where she may be hiding, with some certainty."

Eric turned to him. "Where?"

"She has a panic room inside of her private chambers. Only she and a select few of her inner circle know of its existence and the entry code."

Eric smiled and said, "Do you know the code?" When the man nodded he said, "Then you come with me."

…

…

As Sookie made her way down the corridor with Pam, Mr. Cataliades, and Bill, she couldn't seem to shake a heavy sense of dread that dogged her steps. Despite the near victory of Eric's coup, Freyda and Felipe had still not been accounted for. It felt like she was walking in a house where she knew dangerous animals were roaming freely.

Her feelings intensified as they turned the corner. Her eyes widened when she heard Freyda's voice.

"Take the girl. Kill the rest of the them."

…

…

Eric, Bodvar, and Dragos entered Freyda'schambers, with Merrill pointing to her enormous walk-in closet, which was large enough to be a small bedroom. Merrill had said that the back of the closet was a false wall and actually hid a small door that led to the panic room.

Eric was immediately suspicious that the queen's suite wasn't guarded. Had she been in the panic room, they should have encountered resistance of some sort, preventing them from entering. Something wasn't right…he smelled a trap.

He stopped in his tracks when he heard Sookie's screams and Pam's call to him through their maker/child bond.

Without hesitation, he turned and was about to take flight, but Bodvar and Dragos grabbed his arms and pulled him back.

Bodvar hissed, "You must be smart about this…they will try to use the women again as tools to control you. This time must be the final blow. We must use this to our advantage—we have them where we want them, brother."

Dragos agreed, "Yes, hold while I contact the others." He pulled out his cell phone and began speaking rapidly. He put the phone back in his pocket and said, "Miyamoto and the others are coming. They will come from the front entrance. I advise that you approach them alone and stall while we gather Stan and the others."

Eric gritted his teeth but nodded in agreement. "All right. But I can't guarantee I will be able to wait for long. Not when they have Sookie and Pam."

Without another word, Eric turned and flew in the direction of the screams.

He smelled the rank copper smell of blood before he saw the piles of viscera. His eyes rapidly scanned the room. Bill was missing, but he saw that Pam was pointing a gun at Hans. Hans was holding his sword in an offensive stance, poised to strike her at a moment's notice. Mr. Cataliades had his arms held up as red electrical currents shot from his fingertips. There were piles of ashes around him.

Eric took all the information in coolly, but his eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on Sookie. Once again, he saw that Freyda had her captive, her hands gripping her cruelly by the throat. This time, however, Sookie did not appear frightened. She looked furious. Felipe stood beside them, a smug look on his face.

Freyda spoke directly to Eric. "I declared a state of emergency hours ago, well before all of this…waste of time and resources took place. My backup should be here any minute. I recommend you cease this foolishness immediately. If you comply, the life of this human will be spared."

Felipe looked him in the eye. "Yes, Northman. I also have reinforcements coming. It is over for you and your conspirators. You must surrender immediately."

Eric threw the sword and the rifle he had slung across his back on the ground and stood with his hands held out: a gesture of compliance. He planned on stalling for time until his allies showed.

Without warning, Sookie reached behind her head, grabbing the silver comb out her hair. She brought it down quickly across Freyda's face, ripping a deep wound across her cheek while stomping her heel into her foot. She spun free and ran towards Eric.

Freyda grabbed her face and screeched, "I will kill you for this!" She leaped at Sookie, knocking her to the floor. Sookie turned and instinctively grabbed one of her shoes. Freyda bared her fangs and descended upon her in a blur. Her eyes widened in shock when she looked down and saw that Sookie's heel had pierced her chest. Freyda stilled and looked up, straight into Eric's eyes as she burst and rained blood and gore upon Sookie, who sat up sputtering and coughing.

Eric did not waste the opportunity. In the blink of an eye, he turned and grabbed his sword from the floor, flying faster than a bullet towards Felipe. In a smooth arc, he swung his sword straight through Felipe's head and body, cleaving him neatly down the middle. Bodvar, Dragos, and Stan jumped into the fray while holding the stunned guards at bay with their guns.

Hans let out a strangled, grief stricken groan. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees near the spot where Freyda had met her end. He grabbed her gown and pulled it to his chest as his head hung down and shoulders shook in silent sobs.

Dragos approached him. "I have waited a long time for this, Teuton. I have a blood debt to repay you."

Hans raised his head and looked at the former voivod. Recognition briefly glinted in his eyes before he bowed his head again. He did not make a sound when Dragos pulled out a wooden stake and stabbed him in the chest. Dragos looked at the pile of blood and tissue dispassionately. He whispered, "As you took my child's life, so have I taken yours." He dropped the stake and then walked away.

Eric had gone immediately to Sookie, who clung to him as she wept. He looked at her with concern. "Lover, are you okay?" She nodded her head and gazed at him wide-eyed. She whispered, "Bill…they killed Bill."

Eric remained silent, but pulled her closer while she cried softly.

Pam said dryly, "Ding dong the wicked bitch is dead. Good job, Sookie."

Eric stood and gently pulled Sookie up with him. She took off her other shoe and held it up to Pam. She gave a tired laugh and said, "Yeah…Lucky for me I was dressed to kill."

Suddenly, Miyamoto, Aloysius, and Grace raced into the hall. The three scanned the room, assessing the situation immediately.

Grace chuckled. "Well, it looks like we missed all the fun here, didn't we?"

Miyamoto smiled and said, "Yes, but we did not miss greeting the new King! It is good to see that your plan has come to fruition, old friend."

Eric pulled Sookie to his side but kept his arm around her waist. He glanced down at her, concerned at the shell-shocked expression on her face. He would see to her as soon as he could, but in the meantime he would need to assume the mantle of King.

He smiled at his friends and allies and responded to Miyamoto. "Indeed it has. With all of your help." He gazed around the room, acknowledging each ally in turn with his eyes. He noticed that Freyda's guards had been disarmed and were looking around nervously, no doubt worried about their status in the new regime. He sighed inwardly. One thing at a time…

Merrill approached Eric and knelt on one knee, holding in his hands Eric's Zweihander. His voice rose in the hall. "All hail King Northman!" Eric accepted his sword and gazed at the crowd.

There was a pregnant pause as people began kneeling to the floor. As one, their voices echoed in the hall. "Hail King Northman. Long live the King!"

_AN: Thanks to VAlady for the "dressed to kill" line. ; )_


End file.
